Past made Present
by RougeBludger
Summary: The war is over and while Voldemort is gone, it doesn't feel like victory. They've lost too many. The Fates have delivered a pawn to the Marauders era and Hermione has been sent back to guide them. AU. Hermione/Remus James/Lily. WARNING: This story has NOT been beta-read. PREVIOUSLY GOING BACK TO SAVE THEM.
1. Chapter 1

The war was over but the wizarding world was broken. Hermione sat on a pile of rubble in the great hall, staring at the dead. Voldemort was gone, but they had lost much... so many. It didn't feel like _victory_.

Draco Malfoy laid at the foot of the rubble she sat on, blood splattered across his pale cheeks, eyes hollow and unseeing. He had appeared at the steps of the resistance two weeks before the war. Exhausted but still in tact he made a unbreakable vow with Harry pledging himself to the cause, and shortly after cut his white blonde hair ragged and short with a pocket knife he borrowed.

She wasn't going to lie, especially to herself, she never liked Draco and probably never would have had he lived, but seeing him like that...

He died saving Ginny. Ginny who was engaged to Harry and four weeks pregnant. She had made Hermione swear not to tell a soul, if people knew, they wouldn't let her fight and they needed everyone to end this. Now no one will know... She died shortly after Draco, an avada to the back courtesy of Bellatrix Lestrange.

Molly flew into a rage unlike anything Hermione had ever witnessed. She threw Bellatrix around like a rag doll and _smiled_ when Bellatrix was laying limp and broken at her feet. She doesn't know who killed Molly, but an arm and half her face is missing.

Fred and George lay next to Draco, she has no idea how they died either but they have matching grins across their faces. Percy's sitting at their feet staring at them, like if he waits long enough they'll jump up and laugh at him for falling for their trick.

Arthur is staring out a window, she wouldn't blame him if he jumped. Percy and Charlie is all he has left. Charlie might not make it through the night.

Two motionless figures remain untouched in the middle of the hall. One desperately clinging to the other. Hermione hasn't had the courage to go say her final goodbye to them. Remus and Hermione had become close after he and Tonks fell apart, it was only natural since he had hidden in the library. She can't bear to look at him, to see him clinging on to Harry like that. Harry, her best friend. Gone.

Ron is still laying in the third floor corridor, right beside the door where they met fluffy. He had thrown himself onto Hermione, knocking her out but ultimately saving her. When she woke the war was over, and she didn't have the energy to pull Ron's body to the great hall.

She'd only been able to find nine survivors. Percy, Charlie, Arthur, Luna, Dean, Marcus Flint, Tonks, McGonagall and Cormac McLaggen.

Tonks stumbled over and sat next to her. "I can't believe they're all gone."

Hermione nodded, afraid if she spoke it would make it real.

"This is wrong..." Tonks spoke weakly and hugged her tightly as if Hermione were the only thing keeping her on the ground. A moment later and she was stumbling away swaying.

It whispered through an empty passage. Quite but clear.

_Time has come and Time has gone;  
>Yet Hogwarts had stood throughout it all.<em>

Luna stumbled past and Hermione couldn't stand the sight. Luna had broken. The dreamy look her pale face had once donned had vanished and been replaced with that of a hardened solider.

Hermione vomited.

_But her walls have crumbled and her soul is gone;  
>Turn back the clock to return what was forgot. <em>

She wiped her mouth and fell off the rubble. Holding her left arm, nursing what she was sure was at the very least a dislocated shoulder, she dragged her feet toward the voice. _Why not?_ She thought. _There's nothing else left, if I die following some creepy voice then they could just add me to the tally._

She came to a fork in the corridor, looking both ways, the left was partially blocked by rumble and quite frankly looked like a bitch to get through, the right was clear.

_The stars have aligned, the Fates are forlorn;  
>and send a child that time has ignored. <em>

_Of course._ She sighed hearing the voice from the left and continued to drag herself through the castle, finally coming to a stop in front of a tapestry.

It looked brand new, which she had to admit, was a miracle considering that the castle was now nothing more then a glorified ruin. _Hogwarts; A History, is just about right. _She scoffed. The tapestry was dark with the night sky, stars and a full moon bright in its weaving.

_For their souls a trade must be made;  
>Sacrifice the present to dwell in the past,<br>to fix the mistakes that have come to pass._

She frowned, studying the tapestrys constellations tracing them with her finger in the air, muttering their names under her breath.

_Time has come and time has gone;  
>yet Hogwarts had stood throughout it all.<br>But her walls have crumbled, her soul is gone;  
>turn back the clock to return what was forgot.<br>The stars have aligned, the Fates are forlorn;  
>and send a child that Time has ignored.<br>For their souls a trade must be made;  
>Sacrifice the present to dwell in the past,<br>to fix the mistakes that have come to pass.  
>The stars of yesterday hold the answer she seeks;<br>to make the Dark Lord fall to his knees._

Her frown deepened turning the poem over in her head. "Turn back the clock... stars have aligned... stars of yesterday..."

Maybe it was a temporary loss of logic or just simply exhaustion, but all her mind could comprehend was the puzzle before her. The consequences of solving said puzzle wasn't even spared a thought. Leaning forward Hermione placed a hand on the night sky and slid her hand across making the stars spin backwards as if she'd turned the nights sky back into yesterdays. The weaved sky spun and spun picking up speed going faster and faster until it hit a dead stop and everything was still.

Her brow furrowed. "Well that was anticlimac-"

With a great gust of wind she was sucked towards the tapestry and into the darkness.

A girl with long chocolate brown curls and green-blue eyes stood in a portrait across the hall. "There goes another reality." She sighed and clicked her tongue. "Gosh, I am going to be _mad_." With those words the light dimmed and the world came to a stop.

On the battlefield a long figure stood in black dragon hide battle-gear. She walked along collecting wands of the fallen, picking up a interesting looking wand she examined it.

"Hmm, a clean nine inches, Vine wood and.." She pulled the wand up to her ear length-ways and nodded. "Dragon Heart-string." Pocketing the wand she continued walking and throwing intact wands into a bag when the wind stopped, she stilled before throwing her hood back. Her long chocolate brown curls tumbled onto her shoulders, sharp green blue eyes scanned the battlefield. Fire had frozen mid-flicker, smoke hung in the air unmoving.

Her brows furrowed deep. "What in the name of Helga Hufflepuff is going on?" She muttered. Feeling a familiar tingle and tug on her upper arm, she sighed deeply and dropped the bag of wands moments before her upper arm was grabbed and she was yanked from the timeline.

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><p>If you haven't read Portia's Rules for Surviving Life as a Flicker, then I suggest clicking the link and having a quick look it's only 362 words and give a little insight into Portia. I hope you enjoyed the revamped version of Going Back to Save Them, and if you didn't well, fair enough.<p>

s/10043196/1/Portia-s-Rules-for-Surviving-Life-as-a-Flicker


	2. Chapter 2

With a loud thump a girl with bushy brown hair flew out of the tapestry at the feet of one Albus Dumbledore. Albus tilted his head and frowned in thought.

"She's late... and unconscious it seems." Another girl pushed herself off the wall and moved towards the girl checking her vitals. "She needs healing but she doesn't need extensive care. Tully!" One popping noise later and a well dressed house elf appeared curtsying. "Please take Ms Granger here to the hospital wing and inform the nurse to keep her asleep until the Headmaster sees fit."

"You could have healed her." He stated, green-blue eyes turning to his sharply.

"She would have started asking questions the moment she woke up. I need to know you're on board with this Albus." He nodded and when she joined him, started walking at a leisurely place through the empty castle.

"How is time being rearranged with regards to Hermione and yourself, surely they cannot expect you to keep an extinct surname?" He enquired carefully.

"I assume you are aware of the Harmen brothers? In the original timeline, they die tonight along with their daughters and George's wife. Before you do anything drastic, it is a fixed point in time and cannot be stopped, believe me I have tried, the more you delay it the more horrific the murder becomes." She sent a grave look towards him and he nodded once in acceptance.

"You intend to take the place of Emilia Granger and Desdemona Harmen."

"Yes, Hermione and Emilia are cousins. George Harmen was Emilia's step-father. Hermione's uncle died when Emilia was three. Both Desdemona and Emilia were home-schooled and no one saw much of either child. Hermione will take her cousin's place permanently, I assume the Fates have set everything in motion genetically, but she will have to take a potion to cement it."

"And yourself?"

"I don't need such a thing. The Harmen's were the last of my brothers descendants, head of house goes to me regardless, sadly I will have to take their surname. Should Hermione choose this life, Emilia and Desdemona will fade out tonight and Hermione and I will need to be there to replace them. I assume Emilia will take the place of baby Hermione, however I am not sure what will be of Desdemona."

"And you would like my blessing regardless of the fact that you will continue despite whether you receive it or not?"

"And your help." She turned to face him. "I know we have had our difference Albus but surely you know this is bigger then that. We are fighting for the same cause, you know my help could end this war quicker and cleaner."

He nodded absently. "You have rules that stop you from fighting in the foreground, stop you from becoming known, what would encourage you to break rules that you've had for centuries I wonder? Your freedom perhaps? But then why would the Fates bring another person in? Why haven't you simply smothered Tom in his crib? Or perhaps placed him in a loving home?"

"Yes, my freedom has been offered. Hermione was best friends with James Potters son Harry, who was the one to ultimately kill Voldemort the first time, yes I could do my own research but as you have witnessed before my moving through time doesn't cause change like it does others. Moving such an important person from the future forces change. As for Riddle, without this war the prejudice moves so slowly that no one even remembers a time when muggle-borns were not persecuted. Also placing Riddle in a loving home would do nothing. Rule nine, if you think there is good in everybody, you have not met everybody."

"Such a pessimist." He clicked his tongue and smiled mischievously. "I think the most important question Portia, is if you can even remember how to be a teenager?"

Portia narrowed her eyes playfully with a smirk. "Are you trying to make me admit my age or that I've always been a temperamental teenager? I think you get sneakier with age Albus."

"Will you be taking control of the Order?" He pondered.

Portia snorted. "Think of me as a silent partner. Even if I wanted to take control Alastor wouldn't have it." Portia raised her hand flippantly as if to shoo Albus' inquiring look away. "Another time, another reality."

"and what do you plan on telling Miss Granger?"

"I plan for _you_ to tell her that, she has been given a chance to save her friends from the future she experienced and should she choose to do so, she will switch places in time with her cousin tonight at midnight. It means however that she will in this time permanently, the potion will cement her in this timeline and her memories will adjust accordingly. I would also like you to inform her of my situation, and that even I do not have all the answers to my own condition."

"Ah! So I am to do the dirty work!" He chuckled.

"She trusts you, in the reality she's from, she has never even seen me. However I do suggest giving her a calming draught. Send Tully when you've finished and I'll come down so she can meet me, until then I'll be working. Oh and please make it very clear that she will not be sent on any kind of order business until she finishes school, she's stubborn but we have time, and she should use it to get her NEWTS."

Coming to a stop outside the hospital wing she handed him a vial of glowing lilac ooze. "Make sure she drinks the lot." She added before heading down the hall.

Albus smirked and couldn't help but add one last comment to an old school friend. "You realise you'll still have to call me headmaster right?" His eyes twinkling.

Portia turned to look at with a bewildered look upon her face, before narrowing her eyes playfully. "You're going to enjoy my pain entirely too much aren't you?"

With one last chuckle Albus entered the hospital wing.

* * *

><p>Portia was tapping her quill looking through her list of things to do before the start of school. "We need an entire new wardrobe, muggle and magic. We need school supplies, trunks, I'll have to see if any of my properties are empty so we have somewhere so go during holidays..." She hummed in thought just as a loud pop echoed through the room.<p>

"Portia, the Headmaster has asked Tully to fetch you. It seems Miss Granger is ready to see you." Tully curtsied.

"Thanks Tully, you can go for afternoon tea now."

Portia made her way through the castle finally reaching the hospital wing, she pushed open the doors to find a incensed Hermione and a amused Albus Dumbledore.

Raising an eyebrow she looked between the two.'

"So you're supposed to be my cousin?" Hermione snipped. "And what? You didn't think it necessary to meet me?"

"Considering you've spent the past year in a war I thought perhaps you'd prefer to hear of your situation from someone you respect and trust instead of someone you don't know." Portia rolled her eyes and directed her attention to Albus. "Has she taken the potion?"

"I see these many years have not cured you of your impatience. No, she wanted to speak with you first." He smiled.

"The Headmaster briefly explained your condition. I would like to know more." Hermione nodded.

"I've been waiting seven hundred years to 'know more,' what makes you think you're so special?" Portia furrowed her brow in annoyance.

"I did warn you that she does not know much of her condition." Albus added sombrely.

Apparently Hermione did not like this answer because her face set into a deep frown. "If I am to spend the rest of my life as you're cousin I'd like to know a little about you."

"Understandable." Portia pulled her wand out and cast several wards around Hermione's bed, before summoning a chair for herself and Albus. "I was Born Portia Wyght, September 4th 1214. I received my curse on the eve of Yule after I insulted the Fates. The Fates don't take kind to being insulted and this is my punishment. I walk along time and help the Fates shift society in the right direction across the world."

"So basically you're their pawn? If they're so all-powerful why don't they just do it?" Hermione asked.

"It's called free will, they can't make someone do something they don't want to. So I help people get where they need to go, save people from near-death incidents and unfortunately there have been times when I've had to let people die. Everything has it's time and everything ends. Excluding the Flamel's they're almost as old as me." Portia pulled out a leather pouch and took a sweet from it before offering it to Hermione, who refused and then tossed it to Albus.

"So what happens if it doesn't go the way the Fates want it to?" Hermione asked bringing a pillow forward to hug it.

"I forgot how quick you are." Portia smiled. "I get yanked from the timeline and I have to try again, I've fought in the wars involving Riddle four times now."

"So, wait... If you can go back through time without consequence, why not just end it at the source? Why haven't you finished him off when he was just Tom?!" Hermione asked looking utterly bewildered.

Portia looked between the two astonished. "What is it with you people and smothering babies!? Besides it wouldn't fix the problem. Riddle's war brings the ugliness out into the light, without the war the prejudice gets increasing worse at such a slow pace that no one notices and more people then you could possible imagine end up dying before their time. As sick and twisted as it is, the fact remains, we need him."

"But we can save them right? That's why I'm here, not just to save the people I love but everyone that could be and those who were never given a choice. We can save them by ending it in the 80's right?" Hermione bit her lip nervously.

"I can't guarantee that every soul will be saved, but I have a good feeling about this." Portia smiled.

"I think you will find Miss Granger, that Portia will be particularly passionate about winning this was as she's been offered a place in this time should she succeed." Albus added before selecting another sweet from the pouch.

"They're letting you stay if we win? Why? Why after all this time?"

"I'm not allowed to be a notable person in history, or people will start to take notice. My job requires being able to sink into the background, to be unimportant. This timeline will require me to fight not just on the front lines but alongside the Order and people who will surely make the papers once we win it. Any chance of anonymity will be destroyed."

Hermione nodded vacantly, her mind processing all the new information. "What does the potion do?"

"It cements your life line here in 1976. Over the next couple of days your old memories will turn into memories of a favourite book instead of reality. In place of those you'll grow memories of the life you would have had, had you been born here and Emilia Granger will be born in your place in 1979.

If you take the potion we'll take their place at midnight tonight when the Death Eaters attack the house, we'll have to fight our way out and we won't have back up from the Order. They won't know of the attack until tomorrow and by then we'll be safely tucked away in the Leaky Cauldron until Albus 'finds' us and offers us a place at Hogwarts."

"And then we start our last year at school." Hermione nodded.

"You'll be attending school with many of your ex-classmates parents, do you think you can handle that Miss Granger?" Albus asked kindly.

"If the potion does as Portia says then yes I should be fine." Hermione's head shot up and she stared at them. "I don't have a wand!"

"Oh! That's right! I picked this up off a dead snatcher back of the battle field, I believe that it's yours." Portia pulled the wand from her boot and handed it to Hermione.

"Oh! My! I never.. I never thought I'd see it again!" Hermione grinned feeling her wand in her grip once more.

"Well I have some work to do and I'm sure the Headmaster does as well, I'll return at ten tonight with a change of clothes and we'll head down to Hogsmeade and I'll apparate us to Harman Cottage. Until then, take the potion and get some sleep, you'll need it." Passing the vial from Albus to Hermione, she watched Hermione gulp it down before heading out the door.


	3. Chapter 3 - Revised

_I apologize greatly for this, but reading the ending of this chapter back as I went to continue the story I cringed and suddenly remembered __**why**__ I promised myself to never write and post a chapter late at night again. I solemnly swear it'll never happen again and hope you'll take the time to read my revised ending and won't hate me too much. _

* * *

><p>Portia walked into the hospital wing as the clock struck ten. Tossing a bag onto Hermione's lap she took a seat as Hermione slipped behind a dressing screen silently.<p>

"Once Emilia and Desdemona fade at eleven thirty the family's memories will be swapped from them to us. The attack begins at twelve, do not attack, only defensive spells and try not to use advance magic, we can't risk drawing attention to ourselves." Portia flicked through the latest issue of The Prophet.

"So what? We just leave the family to die?"

"It's a fixed point in time, the more you delay it the more gruesome their death. Been there done that, you'll walk away more devastated than if you had just let them be Avada'd the first time round, believe me."

Hermione emerged from behind the screen in dragon hide boots, high-waisted jeans, a tucked in white tee and a frown. "I hate the 70's, this feels so uncomfortable and unnatural."

Portia laughed loudly. "You think this is bad I wore heavy velvet dresses in my time. If I never touch velvet again it will be too soon." Standing Portia walked with Hermione out of the Hospital wing and down the corridors to the entrance hall where a carriage was waiting for them.

"How many will there be?" Hermione's fingers brushed the handle of her wand as she sat down inside.

"Last time there were about seven and while I don't expect that to change, there is a possibility. Emilia and Desdemona aren't apart of the timeline any more and things are changing to compensate for what would have happened had we been apart of this time since the beginning. So in all honesty I can only give you educated predictions." Portia sat opposite and tightened the laces on her converses before sliding her wand into a holster at her wrist.

Hermione's brow furrowed as she examined Portia pondering. "I thought using the time turner was complex but you done this your entire life and still don't understand it all do you?"

Portia grinned. "I don't think I've even scratched the surface. Hope you're ready for this, we're here."

Hermione's nerves sparked as the coach slowed to a stop in front of The Three Broomsticks. Portia jumped out and took Hermione's hand once she stepped onto the ground, after the tight squeezing feeling that apparation brings they arrived at what was obviously the back of a rather large but charming cottage.

Portia walked up to the door, grabbing a hold of the handle the lock glowed briefly before clicking, she opened it to find two girls sitting to the side. One was casually flicking through a magazine, brown almost black hair tied to the side, eyes the same trademark green-blue of Portia's scanned the pages. The other girl had smooth rusty brown waves, and Hazel eyes that were flicking between Hermione and Portia.

"Do calm down Emilia, there is nothing we can do, it's up to them now. Make sure you end this will you? I'm not cut out for this war nonsense." Desdemona drawled, having placed the magazine down she was currently pulling off Jewellery and handing it to Portia.

"Oh, of course. Merlin forbid you should be put in an uncomfortable position." Portia drawled back in the same bored aristocratic tone.

"You're Hermione right?" Emilia spoke pulling off a charm bracelet and putting it in Hermione's hand as she nodded. "When the time comes could you possibly come see me and my new parents? I'd like to know a bit about magic before entering Hogwarts."

Hermione smiled kindly. "I'll teach you and my old parents all I can, I promise. You know, if I live through the war."

Portia and Hermione stood back and watched the girls as they took each others hands and waved, their images slowly melting into nothingness.

"I didn't know they would be aware they were leaving." Hermione spoke quietly.

"Freewill. They had a choice too, luckily everyone agreed, they'll have a longer, better life next time round, don't feel sorry for them. Their lives just haven't begun yet." Portia started up the stairs. "Come on they're waiting for us."

Edmund Harmen sat patiently in the parlour with his brother and sister-in-law awaiting their children. Portia walked in and tipped her head in acknowledgement. "Aunt Catherine, Uncle George, Father. She took a seat as Hermione copied her slight bow.

"Uncle Edmund, Mother, Father." Hermione took the seat next to Portia.

"Girls we realise it is late, however we feel it was important to inform you of the family's formal position on the current political climate. I know this is not a usual conversation however, certain precautions must be made." Catherine stated calmly.

Edmund stepped in taking the lead. "As you know, there is a man aiming to ally the pure-blood families together; against the Muggles and muggle-borns. This was never an option for our family, nor was it one we ever would have considered and we have stated as such. Unfortunately we have been told by trusted friends that he plans to for the House of Harmen, to be made an example of. We are unaware of when or how, but when it does come we want you both to stay together and get to safety."

Edmund pinned his eyes on his daughter. She had always been a strong woman, just like her mother, may she rest in peace, and he prayed it will serve her well for the journey ahead. "In the very likely case that we perish, you become matriarch and it will be your responsibility to care for all under your house, by blood, marriage, or adoption. Understood?"

"Yes father." Portia nodded, the glint in her eye told him that she understood perfectly and Merlin help the people who tried to harm her cousin. He placed a brown paper package into the table before shrinking it and sliding it across the table.

"I thought only males could be head of house?" Hermione frowned in interest as Portia pocketed the shrunk package.

Edmund smiled proudly at his step-niece. "We are direct descendants of the The House of Wyght, who have always ran things a little differently, when our houses combined we took on the Matriarchal tradition quite happily. Wyght and Harmen women have always been particularly strong-willed and take a rather strange but _very_ respected place in wizarding society."

George's eyes glinted with pride. "While you might not be blood, we have always been very proud to have you and your mother as additions to the Harmen family, even if you didn't take my name."

Hermione's eyes shone, despite the fact that they seemed to know their time was coming they still showed immense pride toward Portia and herself. Her memories of these people may be foggy but her heart still broke at the thought of losing them.

Portia's eyes shot to her father, whose gaze was already on hers. "They're here." A tingle flowed through their bodies as they felt the wards collapse. "I love you papa." Portia gave her Uncle and Aunt a hug before moving to her father. Placing her arms around him tightly she whispered to him. "May the next life bring you peace and happiness."

Edmund gave her a sad smile and kissed her forehead whispering against it. "May your ancestors protect you on your journey."

An explosion sounded from the right of the cottage as Hermione released her mother from her grasp. "I love you mama." A last pained look was shared before Portia pulled her around a corner.

They flew down the stairs as quiet as possible, reaching the kitchen Portia pushed Hermione into the pantry and closed the door. Pushing food aside she finally reached a lone can, pushing it back with the tip of her wand the bottom half of the wall slid back and across, revealing a passage.

Portia crawled through and stood on the other side. "Hurry up!" Hermione crawled through to the other side just as a high pitched scream and a mad cackle rang through the house. Portia slammed a lever down sealing the door.

"Are we really just going to leave them to die?!" Hermione asked panicked and flabbergasted.

"Yes. Each time you delay someone's death it becomes more gruesome, believe me, I've tried." With that Portia started down the dark cramped corridor lit only by a light lumos. "This leads to an alley beside the cottage, there is an old fireplace in the wall that was left when they tore down the cottage that was attached to ours. We can Floo out from there."

Hermione gave a short nod as they slipped out a gap in the brickwork. They alley was narrow, dark and silent.

A figure slipped out of the shadows just before the fireplace. "Well, well, well, aren't we some pretty girls." He growled breaking the silence.

A shrill voice sounded from behind them, Hermione spun, wand ready, and stood back to back with Portia trying to peer into the darkness. "What did I say about playing with your food, dog?"

Portia tugged lightly on Hermione's jeans and whispered rushed, "It's Bellatrix and Greyback. Do not talk to them, do not let them bait you, don't do anything fancy, and _please_ don't make yourself worth remembering."

"Let's get this over Bellatrix, I have more pressing issues at hand." With that he flicked his wand, a red streak of energy emitting from the end. Portia deflected it easily, shooting a curse at him she turned slightly to watch Hermione and Bellatrix from the corner of her eye.

The duels contrasted spectacularly. Bellatrix and Hermione producing spell work like lightening, Bellatrix throwing all she had at her, while Hermione ducked, weaved and blocked her spells, throwing out defensive spells sporadically, hoping to hit her at least once to give this fast paced duel a break.

On the other end of the alley Greyback and Portia circled each other like animals. Each examining the other waiting for the tick that would give them away. He occasionally sent a curse her way, testing her. Portia blocked them absent mindedly keeping an eye out for Hermione, while trying to look like all her attention was on him.

Hermione was beginning to tire, and couldn't help but internally curse this younger Bellatrix. Portia needn't have worried about her doing anything fancy, at this point the duel was moving so fast she couldn't _remember_ anything fancy.

Portia could see Hermione lagging, the curses were becoming increasing closer. Portia swore, she knew Hermione had needed more rest but she had come late and they didn't have the time. When Portia was positive Bellatrix was not paying attention, she struck. Before Greyback had even registered the small quick movements of her wand he was sent barrelling back.

A sickening crack of a skull meeting brickwork echoed through the alley as Portia sprinted towards the duel. Thrusting herself in front of her cousin, she picked up where Hermione left off.

As Hermione paused to catch her breath, she couldn't help but notice the monumental differences in duel styles. Bellatrixs movements were sharp and erratic, kind of like the woman herself, a sharp tongue with wandering mental health.

Portia was something entirely different, her movements smooth, fluent and silk-like reminding Hermione of orchestra conductors. It seemed to be the most accurate way of describing it, the magic just seemed to flow through the woman like she'd duelled a thousand times before and would prefer be reading.

Rather suddenly Hermione realised the _full_ implications of what Portia had told her. _"I've been waiting seven hundred years...Born in 1214... I get yanked from the timeline and I have to try again..."_ Portia didn't count the years she'd had to repeat.

Before the thought could go any further there was a rustle behind her. Hermione spun, wand at the ready, unfortunately being ready was pointless because standing there were five more death eaters their silver masks shining in the moonlight. Before she could panic a force gripped her waist and pulled her backwards, landing neatly beside Portia backed against a wall.

"You got a plan, _cousin_?" Hermione whispered eyeing the death eaters.

"Shut up! I'm working on it." She hissed back. Portia's mind reeled trying to think of the most basic magic to get them out.

Bellatrix's face formed a sickening smile. "I wonder if they'll scream like the filthy muggle upstairs.

"Ignore her, people who misbehave do not deserve an emotional response." Portia regarded the other death eaters critically before producing a electric blue sphere that surrounded Hermione and herself.

"Will that hold?" Hermione asked eyeing it curiously as Bellatrix shot several spells into it and nodded impressed when the shield absorbed them instantly.

"It isn't something you can just blast your way through. The bigger problem is that for us to get out of here, I'm going do something not many people can do." Portia frowned and her wand started emitting a white smoke, filling the dome.

"Which is?" Hermione asked slightly worried.

"Ever seen Riddle fly? My smoke is white though." Portia smirked. "The dome only lasts a few minutes, when the smoke goes over you head wrap your arms around my neck. Warning people tend to vomit the first thirty or so times." She spied Hermione's striken look through the rising smoke and sighed. "It's a ridiculously tedious spell, with little to gain from it, however unless you have a better idea?"

A pair of arms moved through the smoke and wrapped around her neck. "I trust you enough not to kill me on purpose."

Portia would have scowled at her had she thought it would have done anything.

Hermione felt the buzzing of the shield dissipate and suddenly they were smoke, flying rapidly towards the fireplace. Her stomach made the most sickening feeling she'd encountered and couldn't help but think that this is what a rolling stomach felt like if you were smoke.

Portia gripped Hermione and flicked her wand making the Floo bucket empty into the fire before pushing her in. Just as she went to step in herself, something clamped just above her left elbow piercing the skin, throwing her fist back in pain it connected with flesh with a satisfying crunch.

Hermione turned just in time to see Portias fist connect with Greybacks snarling face. Raising her wand she shouted, "Duro!" a second before Portia's "Reducto" was sent and she stared horiffied as Greyback smashed into a thousand pieces.

Portia paused for a spilt second as Greyback smashed into pieces. She muttered, "Fuck," before clearing her throat and saying "Potter Manor!" as loud as she dared.


	4. Chapter 4

Hermione stepped into a brightly lit receiving room just in time to see Portia literally tumble out after her. "Oh my! Are you okay?"

"I'm fine, I just can't Floo." Portia stood up and attempted to dust herself off but ended up clutching her arm.

"Seriously? You can send Bellatrix off the deep end with a shield she can't blow up, but you can't _Floo_?" Hermione looked at her incredulously but when Portia sent a deadly glare at her she quickly changed the subject. "Where are we anyway?"

"Potter Manor, I know we were supposed to go to the Leaky but I'm fairly sure that monster bit into bone and I can't go to St Mungos. Wispy!" With a small pop a little house elf in a pretty yellow cotton dress appeared. "Could you please go wake Mr and Mrs Potter, please make sure no one else comes down here."

"Why Potter manor then?" Hermione asked while she started to clean up the bite. "This is really nasty are you sure he only bit you?"

"The creep sharpened his teeth to a point." Portia took a deep breath tried to ignore the almost overwhelming pain throbbing through her arm. "There are some witches out there who can remember their past lives and as a consequence every timeline I've had reset. It's an exclusively female trait and they're extremely rare, in this time there's only two, Augusta Longbottom and Dorea Potter." Portia gritted through her teeth.

"But why do you need someone who remembers you to heal you?" Hermione asked wincing as Portia's arm flinched at her touch.

"She heals faster than normal people and walking into St Mungos for most wounds would be like E.T. walking into a science lab for a band aid, pointless and downright dangerous." An older woman with long black curly hair muttered as she bustled in, a greying spectacled man following her.

"Since my wife isn't bothering with the tiresome greetings polite society demands, I think I'm safe assuming you are more then I remember." The man spoke carefully as he sat.

Dorea scoffed as she gathered supplies from a closet in a far corner. She moved swiftly to Portia summoning a stool for them both and spread the supplies out on the table. "Hermione, go sit." She said nudging her out of the way."

"Ignore the attitude. She hates patching me up." Portia sighed with relief as a numbing charm hit her arm.

"Charlus, you know Hermione Granger, originally she was best friends with James' son Harry, what she's doing in this time I haven't the foggiest but the girl with an arm like a chew toy is Portia Wyght, now Portia Harmen, she does deeds for the Fates." Dorea explained bluntly as she went about helping the bone heal. "Drink this." She thrust a vial towards her.

"Is there anything we can do for you besides patch you up?" Charlus inquired.

"There was an attack on Harmen Cottage tonight. Catherine, George and Edmund Harmen have fallen. Oh and Hermione and I accidentally killed Fenirr Greyback, she turned him to stone a second before my reducto hit him, blew him to pieces." At Charlus raised brows and Dorea's scoff she backtracked. "It was purely accidental I swear, I won't lie, I meant to blow an arm or two off but not kill him."

"Nothing too violent then." Dorea drawled.

Portia levelled a glare at her. "That creep is the reason my bone is splinted and my arm looks like mincemeat. He had his teeth sharpened to points, obviously he picked up a taste for human flesh outside of his lycanthropy. I won't be made to feel sorry the monster is dead."

"Not all werewolves are monsters." Hermione frowned quick to jump to their defence but turned a quizzical look to Dorea and Charlus when they chuckled quietly.

Dorea turned a kind smile to Hermione. "Believe me young lady, Portia would know more than most that not all were-people are monsters, she's spent hundreds of years researching a cure."

Portia slumped a defeated look to the floor when Hermione looked at her curiously, they didn't have time for this.

"My family, the Wyght's, started researching when my baby brother Caspian was bitten. Back then, if people found out someone was infected, they were executed. That's how we lost Cassie. The search for a cure has been passed down ever since, actually I think Edmund and George had just finished the Wolfsbane potion." Portia frowned thoughtfully.

"Wait, but Damocles invented the Wolfsbane." Hermione frowned.

Portia scoffed. "Damocles is a talented potioneer, but absolutely terrified of werewolves. He inherited the recipe in your timeline because our fathers knew he'd get it published. Now the timeline has changed he'll have to find another claim to fame." She rolled her eyes and turned to Dorea. "All done?"

"Yes, I suggest you take it easy on that arm but we both know you'd do however you please. Did you need a place to stay?" Dorea inquired kindly, her demeanour slipping back to its usual disposition now she wasn't irritated and worried.

"No thank you Dorea, Hermione and I are due to meet Albus at the Leaky in the early morn. We're enrolling at Hogwarts for our last year. Yes, we would be delighted to join you for Christmas and I promise to keep an eye on Hermione and your boys." Portia smiled, rolling her eyes fondly as Dorea swept her into a loose hug, mindful of her arm.

Dorea turned to Hermione. "Now listen here young lady, you might not remember me but I certainly remember you. Forget about the war, there's nothing you can do for now. Study hard you're a brilliant witch and I expect top notch marks from you but please remember to surface from the books to have some fun and make some memories sweetheart. You're here forever, make it count." Dorea swept her into a bone crushing hug and Hermione felt overwhelmed with the affection Dorea spoke to her with.

Portia looked over from her quick discussion with Charlus, regarding reports and inheritances, and smiled. "Looks like it's time to go. Thanks for the help Charlus." She smiled shaking his hand.

"Our pleasure and no backing out of Christmas, you'll have Dorea pulling out her hair with worry if you do." Charlus chuckled eyes glinting with mischief.

* * *

><p>Hermione flopped onto a bed exhausted. "This is too much. In 48 hours, I've finished a war, been sucked through a tapestry, been told I have a new life, lost my family... again, been attacked, had to duel a younger, faster, Bellatrix, blown Greyback up, met Harry's grandparents and my mind is already planning a study plan now that I know Dorea expects top marks! Life was not meant to be this hard."<p>

Portia smiled sadly. "It'll get better, of course then it's going to get worse as the war breaks out but, ultimately things will work out. I'll do everything in my power to make it so. Here take this, it'll help you sleep. Dumbledore will be around in the morn and after breakfast you'll go with him back to the castle while I handle the inheritance at Gringotts and look at some of our other properties to reside in after school."

"I'm going to research you when I get to Hogwarts." Hermione said eyeing her before she swallowed the potion down.

Portia chuckled. "I expect nothing less. Ask Albus, he's probably kept track of me somehow."

* * *

><p>Hermione woke to the smell of bacon and the sound of quiet talking. Standing up she stretched and padded toward the voices.<p>

"I don't know how having such a key player in the war knocked out this early will affect us to be honest and it worries me."

"Then we will have to be patient and let the chips fall as they may." Albus' calm voice floated through the room as Hermione got closer.

"Oh yes, let's leave in to the Fates they've done such a wonderful job so far." Portia drawled out as Hermione pushed the door open, a second later a crystal ball explode into pieces. Hermione dropped to the floor covering her head, Albus and Portia barely flinching before Albus flicked his wand cleaning up the mess.

"One might think you would have learnt your lesson by now Portia." Albus smiled at her, his eyes twinkling with laughter.

"What was that?" Hermione asked flabbergasted as she took a seat at the table.

"Occasionally I make a derogative comment about the Fates and they feel the need to remind me they are watching by exploding something near me, or on one occasion, hitting me with lightening. It's how we show we care." Portia informed her with a sarcastic smile before sneering at her tea.

"Not in the best of moods is she?" Hermione turned to Dumbledore.

Dumbledore smiled. "She's not what you would call a morning person."

"How's your arm?" Changing the subject seems the best course of action Hermione thought.

Portia pulled off her thin jumper leaving just a white singlet covering her torso. There, where just last night Hermione had seen jagged ripped flesh, puncture wounds and blood, was a set of scars pink and tender looking.

"Well that just adds to the never-ending list of questions I have about your sheer existence. You've given me so much to research I'm not even sure where I should start."

"Well, Curious George, you can prod me with a stick some other time. I'm off to do boring adult stuff and have an argument with a few goblins." Hermione watched Portia stand and pull on cloak. "You are going with Dumbledore to Hogwarts; we're staying there from now on. Also I'd like you to sit down at some point before term starts and write down everything you know about Riddle and the war. It may be easier to dictate it to a quill, also try to remember that the most mundane details are sometimes the most important. Right, off I pop." With a quiet crack she was gone and Hermione turned her gaze to Dumbledore.

"Do you happen to know who Curious George is?" Hermione asked perplexed.

"I haven't the foggiest, but I rather look forward to finding out. Don't you?" Hermione shook her head at Dumbledore's eager expression and dug into her breakfast.


	5. Chapter 5

Hermione sat in an old armchair in Gryffindor tower. A week had passed since they had taken up residence in an attic dorm Hermione was sure had been sealed off in her time. Tomorrow the rest of the student body would arrive and to say she was a little nervous would be an understatement so to remedy the displaced energy she was curled up in armchair with a book and parchment, happily scratching away with a quill.

Portia flopped onto the couch beside her and huffed. "I feel like a grown up, I've discovered I don't much care for it. Remind me why I want this curse lifted again?"

"Consistently having to leave your friends, or watch them grow old, not being able to have a family, I'm sure there's more but I stopped listening." Hermione spoke absent-mindedly.

"Well, there's that I suppose. What are you working on anyway? Term starts in two days, so if you tell me school work I may throw my shoe at you." She asked kicking off her boots.

"You, actually you've come at a good time because I can't find anything on your healing. I've searched every healing and lore tome Hogwarts has and there's nothing." Hermione sat back and ran a hair through her frizzed out hair.

"It's something I'm not certain of but I do have a theory." Portia stated staring at the ceiling.

"Well?" Hermione huffed impatiently.

"Wounds need time to heal right? But Time ignores my existence; I can't even change big events. For example if Albus were to fall down the stairs and die, I couldn't save him, he'd just die differently minutes later, but I could send you to save him and he'd be fine. So I don't have Time to heal my wounds like normal people do, I'm guessing the Fates heal me because after seven hundred years of war, politics, a couple of bouts of torture and general running for my life, I would not be in the prettiest of conditions without it."

"So what happens now you're in this time?" Hermione let her frown deepen as the silence grew without a response.

"I don't know." Portia responded softly before she rolled onto her stomach to look at Hermione. "I have a confession."

"What's that?" Hermione asked her interest piqued.

"I have never met this generation and honestly know very little about them. I know their parents and children but I always seemed to be doing things elsewhere when this part of history comes about."

"So you know nothing of James, Lily, Remus, Sirius and Peter?" Hermione felt her brows rise, unable to hide her shock.

"Well, I only really know Peters story. When Riddle heard the prophecy he approached Peter claiming he could cure his squib little sister of the cancer she was born with. Of course Riddle can't though, so when he betrays the Potters he loses everything and the only thing he's got left is Riddle." Portias brow lowered in pity. "Poor kid."

Hermione was shell shocked. "Wait so Pettigrew betrayed his friends to try save little sister, not because he was a wormy little coward?"

"Jesse was… _is_ a very sick little girl who happens to be a squib, if the blood fanatics found out they would falsely link the two and ridicule the family and Jesse relentlessly. So they did the best they could, they've made her comfortable and hid her existence from the world. Very few people know." Portia smiled sadly.

"Well" Hermione didn't know what else to say, her previous hatred of Peter suddenly seemed premature despite what he had done in her time.

"So anything you can tell me about the boys?" Portia asked snapping Hermione out of her thoughts.

Hermione smiled thinking back on what she knew of Sirius, Remus and the stories she'd been told by them and others. A wicked gleam entered her eye as she smiled at Portia who looked on cautiously.

"I know you don't remember, but I know that look and it has never ended well for me." Portia glared.

"I'm not going to tell you anything, you can discover the Marauders all for yourself. Although I must say Sirius is _barking_ mad." Hermione grinned at her own joke and stood gathering her studies together and spelling the information away safely in a folder.

"That's your 'I have a secret smile,' what are you hiding?" Portia asked narrowing her eyes.

Hermione stilled, placing her books down carefully she looked at her now-cousin thoughtfully. "How close were we the other times you fought?"

Portias eyes widen taken a-back. "Honestly not that close, can't stand out remember, but I've always been a peculiarly observant person, even as a child."

"It's just… you seem to know me down to the smallest mannerisms. It's a little unnerving since I don't know yours that well as of yet. I sort of feel like I'm behind the class because I don't know things I feel as though I should." Hermione fiddled with a loose bit of parchment.

Portia smiled sympathetically. "I'm a fairly simple person really. I love rock music, Quidditch, and food. Oh and I can drink a leprechaun under the table." Portias smile spread into a proud grin as Hermione's features moved into a disapproving frown.

"I'm not sure that's something to be proud of."

"Obviously you haven't seen how much a leprechaun can drink then." Portia scoffed. "Better catch some shut eye; we've got an entire school to welcome home tomorrow." Portia stood picking up a pile of Hermione's research and headed up to the dorm they had to themselves for the year.

"Right" Hermione nodded picking the other pile up and followed up the stairs. A swirl of magic clouded her vision and she gasped as she dropped her books.

Portia hearing the gasp from their dorm came sprinting down the stairs. "What is it, are you okay?" Frantic green-blue eyes searched Hermione's clouded brown ones.

"N-nothing, I just, I think the last of my old memories has finally been closed away. They, they don't feel real and now I've got ones of Mum and George. There are ones with you and your dad too. It's that strangest sensation, it's like I'm watching a film in fast forward but still absorbing the movie." Hermione finally blinked out of it and looked at Portia with a mixture of disbelief and grief.

"My old life is really gone isn't it?" A tear slipped from her eye and started its slow decent down her cheek.

Portia looked at her with a sad smile and wiped the tear away with her thumb. "You'll see them again. No it won't be the same and I am really truly sorry for that. I've seen you be so very happy there and it kills me to know that my own inadequacy has brought you here, but I think, if you tried, if we tried, we could be happy here too." Portia wrapped her arms Hermione and held her tight.

"It's not your fault it's Tom Riddles. I wouldn't be here if it weren't for him and his vile ways." Hermione sniffed, missing Portias facials flinch visibly.

Suddenly feeling very old Portia sighed and directed her up the stairs. "Come on sleep will do you some good."

* * *

><p>Hermione bit her lip and rubbed at the ink stains on her hands as she sat at the front of the Gryffindor table waiting for the rest of the school to arrive.<p>

"You're going to chew that thing off if you keep it up you know." Portia said from the floor.

"Would you get off the floor? I hardly think the Professors are impressed that you're lying there." Hermione snapped.

Rolling her eyes Portia stood up and slid herself into the seat next to Hermione. "I hardly think they care, you on the other hand are exuding enough nervous energy for the both of us, would you kindly _calm down_?"

"I'm sorry it's just I miss our family. It's the oddest feeling, because I didn't really know them and now I have to meet all these people I've heard stories about and…"

"Okay firstly, those memories are real, the other reality is an echo, nothing more. So what's really bothering you?"

"What if they don't like me and I don't get to see Harry ever again?" Hermione whispered.

"Then I'll kidnap him for you." Portia shrugged.

"Portia!" Hermione shrieked her eyes wide horrified.

Portia chuckled. "I was joking, take a breath. Besides you're Hermione freaking Granger. Enough said."

"That doesn't mean anything now. Once again I'm just a bushy-haired know-it-all." Hermione rolled her eyes.

"You're my cousin, I quite like your hair and from what I've heard you aren't going to be the only know-it-all here, I'm fairly sure Lily Evans will happily share that title with you. Isn't that her walking through the doors now?"

Sure enough a girl with long sleek red hair strolled through the doors and stilled when she noticed them. Portia spied Albus gesture her over to them before he stood and strolled over to them himself.

"Miss Evans, I would like you to introduce you to Miss Portia Harmen and Miss Hermione Granger, they will be joining us for their last year. Ladies this is Lily Evans, our head girl and a fellow Gryffindor." Dumbledore smiled kindly at the two.

Lily's eyes were wide. "Oh, you… ah, I'm sorry for your loss the Daily Prophet put it on the front cover a week ago but it said you were missing."

"Not so much missing as dodging the press particularly well." Portia chuckled as Dumbledore strolled away.

"You seem well considering the circumstances." Lily noted sitting opposite them.

"We knew something was going to happen, the house had been tense for months before the attack. We had two choices, wallow in self-pity and grief, or pick ourselves up, get our NEWTS and hunt down the people responsible for it." Hermione stated with a determined glint in her eye.

Lily smiled. "So basically there was really only one viable option."

"Exactly. The hall's filled up fast." Portia noted nodding towards the last couple of stragglers.

"Oh Merlin, Hermione I hope you don't mind but I'm going to sit beside you." Lily rushed out before literally crawling under the table to the other side of Hermione.

Portia boggled at her. "What on earth was that about?"

"See the four guys who just walked in like they're kings? The one with the glasses has been bothering me to date him since our first year, unfortunately I have to share the heads dorms with the jerk this year and I'd like to spend as much time avoiding him as possible."

Hermione couldn't help the grin that spread. "So you're hiding?"

Lily glared. "Just because I'm a Gryffindor doesn't mean I can't recognise the pros and cons of flight and fight." She sniffed.

"Well luckily you won't have to explain that to them, he just sat down with the twat who's winking at everyone and Dumbledore looks ready to bring the first years in."

As Portia watched the sorting she couldn't help but remember all the times she'd done this before, the people she'd sat with, watched out for, laughed with. She took a deep breath and tried not to feel so emotionally tired, so old. _One last time_, she told herself_, just get through this one last time and there'll be no more repeats, no watching the same people die. One last time and you can grow old._ The thought made her smile, just a little.

Portia wasn't pushed out of her thoughts until dessert had vanished and Hermione was nudging her looking worried.

"Are you feeling alight? You barely said anything at dinner." Hermione gnawed at her lip.

"I'm fairly sure I told you, you'd chew that thing off if you kept it up." Portia gave a half smile, her eyes glittering with humour.

Hermione rolled her eyes in both relief and annoyance. "I'm sure you did, but as you have probably noticed I listen to you about as much as you listen to me."

Portia glared playfully. "I can't tell if you're stating the obvious or taking a jab at me."

"With the quick wit I've witnessed tonight, she's probably taking a jab at you." Lily smiled. "I'm assuming you've learnt your way around the castle so I won't bother finding someone to escort you or drag you along the first year tour, although I'm tempted to just to escape from Potter." She rolled her eyes.

"James Potter is the obsessive nutcase? Oh I can't wait to tell Dorea." Portia grinned evilly at which Hermione rolled her eyes.

"Dorea is James' mother, lovely woman mind you. She's invited us for Christmas so we aren't alone." Hermione explained.

"Oh, pity she's got him for a son." Lily shrugged. "I better be off, see you in class tomorrow!" With that Lily was swallowed into the crowd.

"Better get going, hopefully we can make a quick escape into the dorms during the crowd confusion." Hermione smiled at the challenge and took Portia by the hand dodging and weaving them through the crowd.

They made it into their dorms with only one minor scrape and honestly Hermione had, had no idea whether to frown or laugh when Portia had started ranted in fluent Spanish scaring the third year away.

Lying on her bed drifting to sleep she decided that perhaps it was okay to be amused by her cousins antics, but perhaps it wasn't a good idea to tell her as much. _I wouldn't want to encourage that sort of behaviour, _she thought sleepily, _but then how much influence do I really have on someone as old as her?_ Questions to be pondered with an alert mind she decided.

* * *

><p><strong>Thanks to dianaanne who pointed out that my last chapter hadn't been broken up into paragraphs properly and was one giant block of wordage. I do apologise, something obviously went wrong when I uploaded it and I doubt I would have ever noticed if you hadn't have pointed it out. Hopefully I've fixed it however and I'll definitely double check next time ha ha!<br>**


	6. Chapter 6

"What should I be when I grow up?" Portia asked as she flicked through a pamphlet on ministry jobs.

"How about you concentrate in getting your NEWTS first?" Hermione raised a brow, hauling her books from one hip to the other.

"You realise I've done them several times before right? The only way I'll get anything below an O is if I did it on purpose, that's why my records are sealed. I forfeit any award I might be eligible for and keep manage to keep people sticky noses out of my business." Portia shrugged "Hey what do you think of spell research?"

"The only thing I've read about spell research is the people who were killed doing it. Besides I should think that becoming an Auror be more useful with the upcoming events. You could always switch professions after." Hermione smiled. "We better get a move on, we don't want to be lat-"

"She's back! She's back! The ickle ageless one is back!" Peeves danced above their heads before swooping down to examine Hermione. "You brought a friend. She smells new!"

"She is new. How have you been Peeves?" Portia smiled fondly.

Hermione watched the interaction completely befuddled. Peeves smiled wide and began to dash and swoop sparks left in his wake. Obviously thinking he was rather impressive, and honestly he was… just a little bit.

Portia tilted her head towards her and gestured silently down the hall, Hermione didn't have to the smartest witch of her age to know what that meant so careful and quiet as she could she headed down the hall and headed toward Transfiguration.

* * *

><p>Walking into Transfiguration was peculiar to say the least. Instead of the faces she knew she would have walked in on in another life she walked in to see different faces, some striking an alarming amount of familiarity, while others were younger -okay a lot younger- versions of the people she knew of and some were complete strangers.<p>

The scene also cast a complete inverse to the independent study room she and Portia had become accustom to over the years.

"Miss Granger you're just in time and where is Miss Harmen?" Hermione had to smother a smile when McGonagall gave her the same pursed lips and raised brow that she knew she used to receive when she asked about Harry and Ron.

"Oh, you see…"

"I made an impromptu acquaintance with the resident poltergeist." Hermione spun wide eyed to see Portia looking mildly impressed and holding up a slime-covered school robe.

"Yes, well. Please take a seat."

Portia smiled teasingly. "Go sit with Lily, I know you're dying to be with your own kind."

Hermione narrowed her eyes. While her memories were fairly new acquisitions and she was still sorting through them, she knew Portia had a worrying talent for mischief when she thought it was warranted.

"Don't do anything stupid." At Portias affront look she sighed. "Those boys look like mischief and we both know mischief and you don't go well together, not for anyone else anyway."

With that she spun and walked down the aisle ignoring Portias muttered "Rather rude that was."

"Hello again, glad to see you made it." Lily grinned at her. "I was going to send someone to check one you two but I realised I didn't know who you'd met yet."

"Apart from you we've only been introduced to the Professors." She whispered back before drawing her attention to Professor McGonagall.

_Five minutes left_. Hermione smiled as she watched her and Lilys beetle dance across the desk.

"So you're a Muggleborn right?" Lily asked carefully.

Hermione was silent for a moment waiting for the memory to surface "Yea, my biological father died when I was three. Two years later I showed my first sign of magic and poor Mum thought the grief had driven her mad. She met Dad, George Harmen, while she was seeking help out, the Harmens took us in and taught us about the magical world. Mum was so grateful but they refused to take anything in thanks or even hear of it, she married Dad a year later and they've been family since."

"Must've been nice." Lily smiled.

Before Hermione could respond an almighty screech came from the table beside them. A surge of dread went through her and sure enough when she glanced at Portia she was trying not to laugh, unlike the boys on front who were bursting with laughter.

"Ugh, you'd think the marauders would have least waited until the second day, honestly." Lily rolled her eyes.

"Marauders?" Hermione asked blankly. _They all can't be in here, I only noticed Peter._

"Four boys who enjoy playing cruel tricks on the student body, James Potter is sitting by his self on our other side because of a trick he played last year, McGonagall won't let him sit with the others. Sirius Black is the one with longish black hair in front on your cousin, he's a playboy Merlin knows how any girl likes him though. Remus Lupin is the one next to him, light brown hair? He's a nice guy, I've honestly no idea how he got involved with Potter and Black but he's been with them since day dot. And lastly, sitting next to your cousin is Peter Pettigrew I don't really know that much about him but he follows Black and Potter around like their gods and that in itself says enough."

Before Hermione got to turn and find them however McGonagall turned to the class having just sorted out the shrieking Slytherin.

"Who is responsible for this?" Mouth pinched McGonagalls eyes swept over the class. "I would have thought the first day would have been spared this foolishness."

"I didn't mean to Professor, honest." A voice came from the back.

No. No, no, no, not on the first day! It was bad enough just knowing the boys were troublemakers now I'm related to one?! Fantastic! Hermione spun in her seat to face the offending voice. "Portia," she hissed. "What have you done?"

"I honestly didn't mean to Hermione! I swear! I was sitting there going through the spell when her damn shiny buttons reflected straight into my eyes." Portia looked at her in earnest but she honestly couldn't tell one way or the other.

"Those Gryffindors are always doing things like this to us and no one does anything, nothing but filthy disrespectful little monsters the lot of them!" A high pitched snooty voice came from the Slytherin.

Hermione couldn't help but think it looked a bit ridiculous coming from the rather rounded girl. However the thought left her mind when she saw Portia sit up straight and glare at the girl.

"Now listen here! I apologise for the rather unfortunate spell work, but if it weren't for the fact that you have embellished your school robes with rather obnoxious large silver buttons, which I believe is against school policy, the incident in question never would have occurred! It is not my fault your rather pompous behaviour backfired and I will not sit by and let you discredit myself or my name based on a stereotype I couldn't have possible been around to help form!" Portia snapped leaving the girl spluttering unattractively.

_Should have known she wouldn't let that stand._ Hermione thought before looking around the rather silent classroom observing their faces, some were shocked, others impressed, Peter just sat wide eyed looking rather trapped.

"I am afraid that Miss Harmen is indeed correct, the embellishments upon your robe are against school policy. Miss Rowle to avoid further mishaps, please see that they are removed before next lesson. Miss Harmen as it is your first day and Miss Rowle was indeed going against school policy I will not take points however next time I may not be so gracious. Class dismissed!" With that McGonagall turned and with a wave of her wand the board was wiped clean.

Hermione bundled her stuff together hurried planning to get a word in with Portia before they had to split into different classes. _First day and she already gotten into mischief and ripped someone's head clean off. Honestly._

As she rolled her eyes she misjudged the space between her hand and the floor, sliding her books right off the table. Before she could pick them up however a rather handsome young man with light brown hair and light green eyes was handing back to her with a lopsided grin.

"Hello, I'm Remus Lupin." He grinned sliding the books into her arms.

"Oh! Hello, I'm… Uh, I'm…" Hermione stuttered rather floored.

"Hermione, her name is Hermione!" Portia called from the doorway smirking. When Hermione glared at her she flinched. "But uh, I'm in enough trouble as it is, I'll leave you two to it shall I?" She smiled before slipping out of the room.

"I'm Hermione Granger and that was my rather pestiferous cousin Portia Harmen." Hermione sighed exasperated.

"Yes, she's a character that one, I don't think I've ever seen someone disembowel another using words alone." He chuckled.

Hermione couldn't help the small smile that erupted at the sound of that familiar chuckle. "Yes well, I hope her irritation stays to the minimum, I'd hate to see her get creative. I've got Arithmancy now you?"

"The very same actually, would you mind if I walk you to class?" Remus asked rubbing his elbow with his hand in what Hermione thought was an adorable nervous gesture.

"I think I'd like that." Hermione grinned.

* * *

><p><em>So! She's finally met Remus, I don't think I've done too bad a job honestly. Next chapter though folks, would you like Portia's account of the class, or should I just skip it and introduce another? Thanks to everyone who's favourited, subscribed and reviewed and thanks to those who just bothered to take the time to read it. :)<em>


	7. Chapter 7

Three days had past and Portia was late for lunch. Hermione narrowed her eyes and examined the great hall.

"What has you searching the hall like a hawk?" Lily asked piling food onto her late.

"Portia's late for lunch."

"So…"

"The only time I can remember Portia being late for a meal was when a bludger had broken her leg and she couldn't walk." Sitting down she prepared two plates with fresh fruits and a ham sandwich each.

"I'm here!" Portia plonked herself opposite her and Lily.

"You look like you've gone two rounds with a troll." Lily remarked eying up Portia's torn uniform.

"That would have been preferable. Thanks Hermione." A grin plastered her face when Hermione handed over the prepared plate. "Say Blue, what do you know of Sirius Black?"

"I generally try to avoid that crowd but I know a bit. He's a 7th year Gryffindor, doesn't get along with his brother Regulus, a Slytherin, and from my understanding he recently moved in with the Potters claiming irreconcilable differences with his family. He's, and I'll deny saying this to my grave, but he's intelligent, even if said intelligence is rarely used for anything other than nasty tricks." Lily listed off blandly while Portia nodded along as she ate.

"So what would the general consensus be if say… I pushed him off the Astronomy Tower into a giant pile of bowtruckle droppings?"

"I wouldn't make plans on befriending many of our gender. What did he do this time?" Lily asked eying the uniform again.

Hermione gestured toward the previously brand new uniform. "I'm going to hazard a guess and say it had something to do with your state of dress?"

"Black decided to make fun of the Bavarian Erklings. Kettleburn decided to let them out of their cage, which would have been fine had they gone for _him, _however instead of trying to eat Black they went after the first year class in the Greenhouse. I just spent the past hour stopping them from eating a bunch of terrified eleven year olds and of course Black thought it was _hilarious_." Portia scowled.

"So what have you done in retaliation?" Hermione eyed Portia suspiciously.

"After discussing the matter with my council, Blue here, I've decided that it would be in my best interest to deny any association with what is about to happen to Black." Portia smiled smugly causing her and Lily to look down the table to see Black.

Sirius Black was carefully piling some bacon onto what Hermione was sure he would think was a perfect sandwich. In her opinion it was huge and artery filling, but each to their own. Placing the top slice of bread on, he sat back grinned widely and rubbed his hands together, leaning forward he reached out.

BANG!

The sandwich was gone and Black sat looking very much Wile E Coyote after Road Runner had tricked him into blowing himself up, with the exception that the normally black soot was just about every colour known to man, and a few that weren't.

Lily sat back blinking. "I don't think he's ever had a trick played on him before." Looking up at Portia with wide eyes she continued. "When he realises it wasn't a Marauder he is going to be pissed to the seven hells."

"Perhaps, but how's he going to work it out?" Portia shrugged. "I haven't been here long enough for anyone to know my particular brand of retaliation toward those who deserve it."

"As much as it pains me to say it, she's right, if you find evidence that Portia tricked someone, she wanted you to find it." Hermione grimaced, stuck somewhere between pride and shame. "On the plus side, she's pretty picky about whom she chooses and they'll always deserve it."

Portia mock gasped, hand at her heart. "Was that your approval?"

Hermione shifted uncomfortably. "No. I don't think it's _right_… but I can certainly see how you would think it was fair. The professors rarely see the indiscretions you serve your… justice for."

"Well… I'm going to go with plausible deniability on this one. Portia said she didn't have anything to do with it and as Head Girl, I couldn't possibly punish her without any proof." Lily nodded, satisfied.

"Huh… I thought for sure you would have found some technicality to trip me up on Blue." Portia said raising a brow at Lily.

"As Head Girl I don't have any proof besides your smug look and that weird twinkle in your eye. As Lily Evans…" Lily leaned in making sure no one unwanted could hear. "It's really good to see Black get a taste of his own medicine."

Hermione rolled her eyes when Portias bright eyes and smug closed lip grin turned her way. "Don't give me that look. She won't be so lenient when you turn everything in the classroom to cheese."

"That was one time and it was an accident!"

"You laughed so much I was worried you weren't breathing properly." Hermione gave her a pointed look.

"It caught me off guard! I… forget it." Portia sighed massaging her temples.

Peter slid into the seat next to Portia and nudged her. "What's up with you?"

"Nothing important," Portia waved off as Lily and Hermione left for the library, "How come you're here and with the boys?"

"Sirius just had a sandwich blow up in his face and the colourful dye that was used won't come off. If he weren't a thousand different colours right now I'm sure he'd be red with rage." Peter shrugged.

"You've got a spare with me after lunch for our last lesson right?" At Peter's nod she smiled. "You wouldn't know a way out of the castle would you? I wanted to get Hermione a little something and I honestly couldn't be bothered arguing with the Professors that I'll be safe."

Peter eyed her carefully before swallowing. "Only if I come with you," at Portia's frown he ploughed on, "I looked into your family yesterday and found why your family was targeted, telling You-Know-Who to shove his offer where the sun don't shine was brave as hell but it puts a giant target on your head, so if you think I'm just going to let you stroll out of the castle without someone with you you're nuts."

"Okay, okay, okay, I get it. I won't sneeze without your permission Sir Pettigrew." Portia smirked as he rolled his eyes.

* * *

><p>Portia climbed through the portrait into the common room and glanced around. Lupin was sitting on one side of the couch reading, on the other Potter had sprawled out with the latest issue of <em>Quidditch Capers<em>, until Peter walked past her and pushed his feet off the middle seat to take their place. In front of them Hermione and Lily sat on the floor study on top of a conjured coffee table, backs turned to the boys.

"I got you something." She stated sitting down opposite them and placing a top hat on their studies.

Hermione smiled indulgently. "and what a lovely top hat it is!"

"Inside the hat." She glared back instantly.

Quirking her brow Hermione stretched her neck and carefully peered in. Once she spotted what was inside her eyes went wide and her mouth dropped open. "Is that…"

"A half kneazle kitten I've cleverly named Crookshanks? Why yes, yes it is." Portia smiled smugly moving to sit sideways on the armchair closest to them.

Lily leaned forward to peer in herself and couldn't help but smile when she spotted the smallest fluffiest, little orange kitten she'd ever seen curled up in on itself at the bottom of the hat. "Why is he in a top hat though?" She frowned curiously.

"Well I needed something to carry him in." Portia shrugged.

"And you just happened to have a top hat on you at the time?" Lily quipped.

"Yes." She deadpanned back, as if it was an everyday occurrence and most sane individuals carried a spare top hat upon themselves.

Lily opened her mouth to respond but Hermione jumped in. "Don't bother, I've lived with her most of my life and I still struggle to understand her particular brand of logic at times."

"Okay… So, why a cat?" Lily asked curiously.

Portia gave a mischievous close-lipped grin. "Because Blue, a bookstore wouldn't fit in my top hat."

Behind the girls Peter let out a snort of amusement only to hide behind a magazine when Hermione and Lily turned their glares on him.

Chuckling she continued. "She's always wanted one but Uncle George, her dad, was allergic and I refused to let her get one of those creepy fur-less cats either."

"At least you know they were born that way, poor kitten looks like someone took a brick to its face it's so squashed up." Black scoffed as he joined them, collapsing into the other armchair with a grace that only a bored aristocrat seemed to pull off.

"Says the man who looks like a pack of Bertie Botts Colour Changing Gum Drops blew up in his face." Portia drawled before smiling innocently at him while the others snickered behind various books and magazine.

Portia stood up and stretched. "On that note I'm going to bed, thanks for the help today Petey!" She called back over her shoulder heading up the stairs, chuckling quietly when she spotted the bewildered looks the other Marauders were giving Peter.


	8. Chapter 8

Portia was sitting in the library updating some research she hadn't been able to get to in a decade or so, unfortunately the nervous glances Hermione was giving her was throwing her concentration. Sighing she dropped her quill and rubbed her eyes with the palm of her hands.

"Hermione is there something you would like to say to me, because I honestly don't think I'm pretty enough to get you to switch teams. Even if I was, we're cousins and I doubt that's a road you even want to think about."

Hermione expression turned foul and she had to pinch herself to stop from laughing but she couldn't stop the smirk.

"Honestly Portia do you have to be so crude?" Hermione snapped.

"Well it got you to stop glancing at me and start talking. So spill, what is it?"

"Well… It's two weeks before the first full moon and I was thinking…. Maybe…"

"Just spill it Hermione I haven't got all day and we both know I'm going to give in to your request anyway."

"I know it's still being tested at the Ministry, but we know it works, so I was wondering if you could talk Dumbledore into…"

"Administering it to those whom it might help?" Portia couldn't help the teasing smirk that Hermione instantly started glaring at.

"Well, it doesn't make sense to let them suffer." She sniffed indignantly.

"Of course not, in fact I will speak to the Headmaster as soon as I've completed this paragraph." She grinned.

"You're such a…" Hermione huffed unable to find the word. "Just wait until you're in similar circumstance!"

"That is the most roundabout way of saying you fancy the pants off the bloke if ever I've heard one." Portia chuckled. "Besides," she shrugged, "that won't happen."

"What makes you so sure?" Hermione asked with a brow mockingly raised.

"I have to leave eventually so emotional attachments are unwise."

Hermione frowned, a flicker of hurt passing her eyes. "But you could be staying this time and if it's so unwise then why do you bother with me?" She bit.

"It's different for you. If we fail you go back to Harry and Ron, and it's like this never happened, but I have to remember. Seeing you be happy with your family isn't going to feel like betrayal, but seeing someone I'm romantically attached to married with children would, even if they have no idea what had been."

"I didn't think of that. I'm sorry I was so harsh, I just…"

"You felt vulnerable and got defensive, it's okay." She shrugged. "I should go bother Albus." She winked.

"Hey, Portia!" Hermione called quietly as she could, stopping her in her tracks.

"Yea?"

"You and he never…"

"No! Merlin, no!" She bit her tongue hard, trying her hardest not to laugh as she walked as quick as possible out of the library.

* * *

><p>Saturday morning found Peter sitting in the common room with Sirius and Portia throwing a snitch between the three of them.<p>

"Hey where are James and Remus?" Sirius asked breaking the companionable silence.

"James is off executing his new get-lily-to-date-me plan, and Remus is with Hermione in the library, which is why Pete and I are stuck with his loser friend." Portia teased, grinning at Sirius' affronted look.

Peter smiled, it was interesting to watch Sirius interact with a woman who didn't either hate him or fall at his feet. Their friendship might be built on insults and thinly veiled innuendo but he thought they liked each other well enough, or at least he hoped so.

"As if, the only reason Pete and I are here is because we couldn't leave a fair maiden to fend for herself. We can't actually have a friend who's a girl, it'd ruin our rep." Sirius explained confidently.

"That's alright she's more of a sister to me then a friend, which means you keep your paws off her." Peter pointedly looked at a gobsmacked Sirius while Portia burst into laughter.

"Petey! You like me! You really like me!" She grinned, laughing. "So bets on when Lupin's finally going to ask Hermione to Hogsmeade?"

Sirius scoffed. "How about never? Remus only asks girls who have expiry dates, Hermione's the type of girl you settle down with and Remus doesn't do that."

"Which is a pity really they'd be good together." Peter said shrugging.

"Wait, so Remus can date Hermione, but I can't even _try_ to date _her_?" Sirius barked tossing the ball to Portia.

"Remus isn't a dirty philanderer, besides you can _try_ all you want but I didn't tell you to keep your paws off because _I _would do something, you're more in danger of Portia castrating you and as much as that would entertain me, I'd have to listen to you whine, and you're worse than James after a fresh rejection from Lily." He snorted.

"Am not!"

"Are too."

"Am-"

"I wonder what Dumbledore said to Remus this morning." Portia interrupted.

"Dunno." Sirius grunted petulantly.

"He didn't say anything to me." Peter shrugged, ignoring Sirius' sulking.

"Well I'm bored. I thought school would be more, I don't know, interesting?"

"This is probably the last Saturday I'm going to get free so I'm not moving an unnecessary muscle." Sirius said stretching out and flipped through a motorcycle magazine.

"Um, why?" She asked curiously.

"James' the Quidditch Captain and because it's his last year he's going all gung ho. Try outs for seeker are next Saturday." Peter explained.

"Right well since Mr lazy bones isn't going to move, you want to come for a walk Pete? I want to go pat that three headed puppy the grounds keepers got." Portia smiled eagerly. As if he could tell her no.

Walking through the castle Peter narrowed his eyes, examining her. "What is it Pete?" She rolled her eyes fondly.

"Were you the one responsible for Sirius' exploding sandwich?" It was something that had been bothering him since it happened and he honestly couldn't tell if he was imagining the twitch of her lips every time it was mentioned or not.

Portia choked on thin air. "Why do you ask?"

"Well at first it was just a gut feeling and to your credit, your acting was so good I thought I was losing my touch, but when that Slytherin that called Hermione a M-word turned up with Gryffindor red hands I knew I had been right. The only people that knew about that were Hermione, you and I, and there was no _way_ it could have been Hermione, and I didn't do it, so it only left you." Peter nodded.

"I knew I should have changed it up." She scowled.

"How come Hermione doesn't scowl at _you_ when one of _your_ pranks show up?"

"Because mine are served as punishments and they always fit the crime." She smiled smugly. "Well that and she knows no amount of scowling will stop me, apparently she holds some hope for you lot, she just rolls her eyes at me."

"What did Sirius do?"

"Idiot stirred up the Irklings and laughed when they tried to eat the first years. Okay so _maybe_ that one was a little more personal revenge for being an ass."

"You know he'll start a prank war if he finds out it was you right?"

"So let him try." She shrugged before eying him. "You won't tell him right?"

Peter snorted loudly. "And be the bearer of _that_ bad news? No thank you, I'd rather be Snivellus' date to the Potter's New Year Ball."

When Portia burst into laughter he smiled, he liked making her laughter, she seemed sad sometimes, like his sister does and that scares him more than anything because he knows he's going to lose his sister eventually, he's going to have to let go, but if he has to let go of Portia too…

* * *

><p>Remus grinned when Hermione entered the library, he couldn't help it, it was like when she walked in she flipped the switch to his grin. Of course it helped that the potion the Headmaster was giving him stopped him feeling so damn tired before the full moon.<p>

"Hey." Her smile is bright and it lights up the golden flecks in her eyes. His heart beat increases slightly but he ignores and greets her back.

"Hermione, it's lovely to see you today."

"You too, what are you studying today?"

"I'm looking for some forgotten plays for James, Quidditch season starts soon and he's determined to win the cup."

"Oh! He should ask Portia, she loves Quidditch, she's not as vocal about it as others but I've never seen anyone spend as much time on a broom as she does. First time I met her she was hanging off one upside down reading." She chuckles and it makes him smile a little wider.

"I'll tell him too. Do you fly?"

"Oh Merlin no! I was born with my feet cemented to the ground the exact opposite to Portia."

Remus chuckles at her slight panic. "Would you like to sit with me?"

"Yes, please." She sits and they slip into a friendly silence the only noise being the scratching of quills and rustle of parchment.

Peeking a look at her he smiles again until reality hits and the smile slid right off.

You can't get involved. _Why not? She's a nice girl and I like her._ Exactly she's a nice girl and you're a werewolf, what nice girl is going to up and marry you, you twat! _She's not like that, she wouldn't hate me… _You think, but if you're wrong she could spill your secret and everyone would hate you, no, no, it's best not to risk it, it's best to hide. Stay hidden, survive. _Dumbledore said the potion would help. _If he's wrong you could hurt her, like he hurt you, do you really want to risk it? Stay hidden, survive.

Three days until the full moon. _Three days until you turn into the monster._

Sighing he ducked back into his work and studiously ignored the worried and curious looks she was giving him. He ignored the temptation to look back at her and smile just to watch the golden flecks light up, most of all he ignored the longing.

* * *

><p>Portia felt like horrible, she was tired, agitated, and her senses seemed to be on overdrive. To top it off she was late for breakfast which meant Hermione was going to be a pest.<p>

Finally making it into the Great Hall she spotted the group. Hermione, Lilly and Remus sat on the far side and Peter sat between a line of Gryffindors and James, of course all the empty space was beside James, apparently Sirius hadn't made it down yet, or he'd been and gone, but it seemed unlikely without James.

Slipping in beside James she ignored the curious look from Hermione and piled eggs and bacon onto her plate.

The eggs tasted bland, actually she couldn't taste them at all and the bacon tasted weird. Dropping her fork she stared at it frowning.

"Is there something wrong?" Hermione looked at her strangely.

"I don't know, does the bacon taste weird to you guys, or is it just me?"

James snatches a piece off her plate and pops it in his mouth. "Tastes fine to me." He says shrugging.

She shrugs and shakes her head. "Sorry I'm just having a weird day I guess."

_Flutter, flutter, flutter, swat._

_Flutter, flutter, flutter, swat. _Her eye twitches.

_Flutter, flutter, flutter, swat. _She takes a deep breath and turns to look at James.

"Do you think you think you could stop that?" Her voice is tense, not enough for most people to notice but Hermione does and her head snaps up to stare at her.

"No can do Harmen, this Snitch is keeping my reflexes up, we're going to win the cup this year you know." James grins.

_Flutter, swat. _Before it can even get to the second flutter she's got the tiny golden ball clutched in her fingers and she's pegging it out the window, the glass making a small tinkle noise as it breaks through.

They're all looking at her now. Remus looks like he's trying to work out a puzzle, Hermione and Lily just look stunned and James and Peter are looking at her with something akin to awe.

"Holy Hufflepuff, I, Merlin, I'm sorry James, I don't know what happen. It was bugging me and the next thing I know I've thrown it out the window." What the hell did I do that for?!

"It's fine." James says slowly. "It's a practise snitch, it'll make its way back to the store room sooner or later."

She opens her mouth so apologise again, because she really doesn't know why she did that but Sirius slides in next to her and, oh Merlin, the _smell._

"Oh Sweet Merlin! Sirius did you shower at all this month?! You smell like wet dog!" She holds her nose and looks around, apparently that wasn't the right thing to say because the boys look shocked, gobsmacked, and suddenly she thinks it's be best if she got away, _quickly_.

Her arm itches as she stands and it hits her, she feels stupid because really, she should have known.

As she walks away from the Great Hall three words flash through her mind. _Fuck you Greyback_.

It's Peter that finds her an hour or so later.

"James wants you on the pitch as soon as you pull yourself together." He grins.

"Um, why?" She looks at him oddly.

"He wants you to try out for seeker. You want to tell me what that thing at breakfast was about?"

Portia smiles and shoves her sleeve up her arm to reveal the white bite mark still clearly visible against her not-quite-tan skin. "The night our family was attacked Fenrir Greyback bit me, he was still in human form but his teeth were sharpened to a point and he even managed to crack the bone open. I'm fairly sure I won't turn but apparently the full moon does not make Portia a happy girl." She grinned, more teeth than actually humour.

"Oh wow." He sits back. "Have to admit, I wasn't expecting that. So are you okay?"

"Yea, my senses were on overdrive earlier, which is why Sirius smelt so bad and that damn snitch drove me nuts, but I took a potion to dull them and it's only a little higher than usual now."

Peter grinned. "Good, then you can try out, if your flying is as good as your reflexes we've got the Quidditch Cup in the bag."

Just like that, everything was okay.

She'd tell Hermione later, right now? She had a crowd to shock and awe.


	9. Chapter 9

Hermione sat on a balcony she and Lily had found almost a month before. They had been walking down a seventh floor corridor when Lily had tripped and fallen straight through a tapestry into the large area, it's centre holding a suitable sized picnic table for eight, two if she and Lily decided to spread out and study. Two trees grew in the corners against the castle walls, its grey leaved canopy hung over the balcony, almost capsuling them inside. Hermione and Lily had found enormous comfortable in the beautiful area.

Currently Hermione had escaped the hustle and bustle of the great hall to sit and ponder the recent events of her life. Almost two months had past and it had been so… easy. Aside from dodging the occasional prank and getting caught up in the continuous begging James made Lily endure through, honestly the man never gave up, her life seemed almost normal and while that's all she ever really wanted, she could feel the reality of possible futures looming over their heads like an ominous storm. She couldn't decide whether it was better or worse from before.

Portia wasn't making anything easier either. She'd been disappearing at the oddest of times and then popping out of nowhere again like nothing had happened, similar to herself when she had the time turner. She refused to discuss it with her and would simply tell her that she should enjoy the calm before the storm, that the war will be upon us soon enough and she won't have time to smell the flowers. Which she fully understood, and while compared to Portias age and seemingly endless experience, she may seem like a child, she wasn't and she didn't appreciate being treated like one.

Breathing past the frustration she sighs and rests her head on her arms.

She understood what Portia was trying to do, honestly, she did. She understood that she was just trying to give her a life, a normal life, before everything went horribly wrong, but not knowing what was going on was gnawing at her. Had they done anything? Had they put anything into motion? Had they collected any Horocrux's yet? When was the Order going to approach them about joining? Did the journal she wrote in before school started help at all?

Those were just some of the questions that plagued her mind when she allowed herself some free time. She was dying to ask Portia about her past, but every time that she had pinned her down in their dorm, it was like she had known what she was going to ask, and while her face remained blank those green blue eyes almost screamed at her. _Please don't ask, please don't make me remember_, and she can never bring herself to voice them.

Despite not being able to voice the questions Portia seemed so desperate to dodge, she had built a solid relationship with her cousin. Crookshanks gets along with her fantastically which she seems to think is because they both have varying degrees of misanthropy; he's also rather fond of Remus much to Remus' surprise and complete bafflement.

Speaking of Remus, things have been… weird. It was fine at first, they had become quick friends and she enjoyed seeing the carefree mischievous side of him, but recently he seems to be on edge around her. It couldn't be because of his lycanthropy because apparently he had been ecstatic with the results of the Wolfsbane potion, which she may or may not have convinced a smirking Portia to talk Dumbledore into administering despite it still going through safety testing at the Ministry. So the source of his discomfort was still unknown to her and not knowing was bothering her.

Three days ago her respect for Peter had sky rocketed. She was sitting beside him in Potions when the two Ravenclaws in front of them had muttered something lewd and entirely inappropriate about Portia after she had corrected them, she hadn't caught the entire sentence but by the stormy look on Peters face she knew he had. The next time she had seen the Ravenclaws they were on their way to Madam Pomfrey one nursing a black eye, the other clutching his front teeth in his hand. Peter had come to the common room unusually chipper considering his knuckles had busted open and while she didn't condone that sort of behaviour _at all_, she couldn't help but feel a little proud that her cousin inspired such loyalty in him.

When she had quietly healed his hand later on, he confessed to thinking of Portia like a surrogate sister, which she was rather glad of because she didn't think Portia could think of him that way if she tried, but they looked after each other. Portia would draw attention away from Peter when… well whenever he was targeted away from the boys and when Portia got grumpy around the full moon he made sure Portia and Sirius spent minimal time together. It wasn't that they disliked each other, but their friendship was built on snark, wit and innuendo which is fine on most occasions but Sirius has always had a short temper, and Portias is _significantly_ shorter on the full moon which is causing some inner turmoil considering every other day she's got the patience of a monk when it comes to their banter.

Patience, now there's a concept she's losing familiarity with. How Lily hasn't drowned Potter in the lake yet is beyond her. How did Charlus and Dorea birth such a distraction of a man? Honestly! The more Lily says no the more elaborate the scheme, if it weren't so exasperating it'd be pathetic. How on earth did they get together in time to have Harry last time?

"So this is where you've gone to." Portia sauntered in.

"How is it you're able to saunter everywhere?" Hermione asked blandly. She watched the smirk slide onto Portias lips, her brow rise in amusement and internally she groaned. It was an expression that reminded her of Draco, in the moments where he let his humanity slip past his mask, in the moments she could almost like him.

"I'm going to let that slip because, One, I don't saunter, and Two, I seem to interrupted an internal monologue." Portia smiled, the amusement shone in the twinkle of her eyes.

"How old are you?" She blurted. The twinkle dimmed but her expression never faltered, it was something she'd seen every time she'd asked a question Portia was uncomfortable with, something she'd learnt was that Portia could even keep the twinkle in her eye if she wanted to. Every word, every movement, every look could be controlled with cold calculation, but with her, Portia had let the barriers down, just a little, just enough for her to know she could trust her.

"Seven hun…"

"No." She interrupted quietly. "Including the years you had to repeat." Watching the amusement slide off her face was painful and part of her regrated asking, but she had to know, she had to ask. When Portia looked up from the ground she felt her whole body pang with grief.

"I lost count." The admission floored her.

"You…" The words failed her and Portia had begun staring at the ground again.

"You have to understand that there were years, entire wars, I had to repeat, sometimes up to six or seven times. I had just turned seventeen when the Fates took me… and I was just, dropped into a war zone on the other side of the planet. I had to learn a lot of things with very little time to learn them and being the person I was back then… there were a lot of mistakes in the beginning and the missions only got harder. Counting the years, it never seemed that important. They'd probably tell me if I asked, but… I don't want to know."

"How… how do you deal with all those memories?"

"I don't. I developed a memory charm shortly after my first war, you place the memories into an object, and it kind of veils them in your mind, touching the objects allows you to remember, to lift the veil, problem is other people can see the memories when they touch them too, I've yet to work out a way to privatise them."

"Wow, I… Uh, I'm sorry I'm asking so many questions it's just, you're my age but, _not_ and you've been through this before just, _different_ and it makes me…"

"Curious. I know, it's not the first time I've been asked. It's the first time I've answered though, honestly at least."

"Why _do_ you answer my questions? It's not like you answer a lot of them but you answer more honestly then you're obviously comfortable with."

"Well… If I succeed I'm going to need something to _want_ to keep me here, family, friends, someone who understands. If I fail, well it won't matter anyway will it? Time will be rewound, again, you won't remember this, and I'll be safe. I'm kind of a coward like that."

"You're not a coward, you're a Gry…"

"I _am_ a coward and that's okay. Being a coward isn't something to be ashamed of, it just is. Some are brave and some aren't, I'm not, not when it comes to that stuff anyway."

She doesn't know how to respond to that, so after a moment she files it away for further thought and changes the subject. "Aren't you supposed to be in Quidditch training?"

"Ah yes. Full moons tomorrow and I'm not feeling as generous towards Sirius' quips as I usually am so I told James I couldn't train today day due to that time of the month, of course he took it the wrong way and blushed so red I was actually a little worried. It was a nice surprise to find out he could still blush though." Portia smirked happily.

"Speaking of James, I'm worried about him and Lily." Hermione frowned.

"Something specific about them? Or just how much longer before Lily snaps and tries to kill him?"

"Both. I'm worried that if James doesn't clean up his act soon they aren't going to get together in time to have Harry."

"Harry's a fixed point in time, he's always born it's just the circumstances that change, but it would be a lot easier if they got together sooner rather than later." She watched Portia stroke the pale pink gem that hung around her neck between her fingers and thumb, it was a habit she had noticed happens when Portia was in deep thought. When a slow smile melted onto her face, Hermione felt the pride and worry rise.

"I'll have to talk to Sirius and a first year that owes me a favour but I think I have something that could help us…"

* * *

><p>Hermione and Lily were walking along the corridors doing rounds, something Hermione had volunteered for since one of the Prefects had, had an injury during Quidditch practise.<p>

"Did you hear that?" Hermione frowned. Tapping a disillusionment charm over them they popped their heads around the corner and watched Black make a run for it from the kitchens and turn into a corridor.

"What are they up to now?!" Lily whispered harshly trying to push past her.

"Shush!" Hermione held her back. "Stop, just wait. Sirius wouldn't go around the castle by himself if it was a prank, there's got to be someone else too."

* * *

><p>Portia shot her hand out and pulled Sirius into the enlarged broom closet.<p>

"Merlin Harmen, if you wanted me in a broom closet all you had to do was ask." Sirius growled at her huskily and wiggled his eyebrows.

"The day I ask you to a broom closet is the day you should be planning your funeral because it won't be an invitation for a snog you smug prick." She growled back, glaring. "Did he suspect anything?"

"Nope, we've got about thirty seconds before he comes out." He smiled lazily.

"Right." Turning her attention to the other person in the room she smiled. "You ready for this?" With a nod from the small amused Hufflepuff she flicked her wand, turning her hair green then swished her wand past her eyes causing her to start crying. "The tears will last for about fifteen seconds, you remember what to do?"

The girl grinned nodding and wiped her tears away before slipping out and down the corridor.

"So, now it's just you and me…" Sirius grinned waggling his eyebrows again.

"Black the likelihood of me snogging you is about the same as you getting married."

Sirius grimaced. "I don't like those odds."

* * *

><p>James slipped out of the kitchens quietly and took a step before he stopped dead at the sound of quiet sobs. Ducking behind a coat of armour he waited, when the figure stepped into the candle light near the kitchens, he saw a tiny little Hufflepuff girl with long green curly hair.<p>

Sighing with relief he stepped out. "Hello there. I'm James Potter, head boy, are you okay? What's your name?"

The girl looked up startled. "I… I'm C-Casandra." She sniffled, wiping the tears away.

James cringed and looked around making sure no one could see him. Certain he wasn't being watched he knelt down, taking a handkerchief from his pocket he tilted her head up to look at him and wiped her tears away smiling kindly.

"_You_ are way too pretty to be crying." He winked, and when she blushed he couldn't help but grin. "Now I'm going to take a stab in dark and say that green isn't your natural hair colour."

"N-no, I was in the girls b-bathroom after dinner when I was j-jinxed." Casandra hiccupped as she fiddled with her necklace.

"Well let's fix that then hey?" With a quick wave her hair had changed back to its original brown. "You've got hair just like Portia does, my friend Sirius tries to flirt with her but if you ask me he's got more chance getting a snog from McGonagall." He mock whispered causing her to giggle. "Do you wear that necklace all the time?"

With her nod he smiled and took the pendant into his hand, muttering a spell it glowed for a moment before he handed it back it to her. "Now it'll repel any curse or jinx below a fifth grade level." Digging into his pocket again he pulled out a sugar quill and handed it to her. "There you go, now off you trot, before someone notices you're missing."

* * *

><p>Lily was gobsmacked. Someone's impersonating him. They have to be there is no possible way that James Charlus Potter was <em>that<em> nice to someone. "Hermione." She whispered turning around but she was gone and the disillusionment charm had faded.

"Hermione?" She called a little louder.

With a crash and a bang a broom closet burst open and Peeves flew out. If there was one thing she did not want to happen tonight it was getting caught by herself at night by Peeves. Head girl or no, he's worse than the Marauders, so she did the only sensible thing she could.

She turned the corner and ran… right into Potter. Okay, so maybe that part wasn't the most sensible.

"_Lily?!_"

"Peeves!"

"Right." James nodded ducking into a tiny alcove and pulled her in against his chest.

_Holy Merlin he's solid! No! No, bad Lily! The fact that he's a complete Git totally nullifies whether he is attractive or not. Even if he really warm and you can feel his muscles tensed up… Shut up!_

After a few moments they heard Peeves swoop away cackling gleefully.

Clearing her throat she slipped out of the alcove with James following closely. "So… Uh, thanks… for that." She gestured awkwardly to the alcove.

"No problem." With a half grin James scratched the back of his head. "You wouldn't want to go to Hogsmeade with me would you?" He asked sheepishly.

Lily narrowed her eyes thoughtfully and after a few moments she spoke. "On one condition."

James eyes went wide and he grinned eagerly. "Anything, anything at all, you name it."

"I go with the James that helped that sweet little Hufflepuff girl and not the git I've been dealing with since first year." She glared.

James' jaw dropped. "You, uh," he cleared his throat awkwardly. "You saw that?"

"Yes and I'll only go with him. The moment you revert back to The Git, is the moment the date ends."

A slow smile crept onto his face. "For a date? Anything. Can I walk you back to the common room?"

Hesitantly she answered. "Okay." A shy smile crept onto her lips and she blushed when James slipped his hand into hers.


	10. Chapter 10

**I sincerely apologise for the wait, I was getting migraines and, well, long story short I wear glasses now.** **Enjoy!**

* * *

><p>"WELCOME LADIES AND GENTLEMEN TO THE FIRST MATCH OF THE SEASON!" The announcer's voice echoed over the stadium as Hermione took her seat between Lily and Remus. A minute later Peter slid past them to seat on the other side of Remus as he rubbed his hands together anxiously.<p>

"Where have you been Peter?" Hermione asked curiously before she tapped him with a warming charm.

Peter gave her and thankful smile and loosened his scarf a little to talk. "I had to talk to James."

"Why?" Remus piped up frowning.

"Well I was walking past some Slytherins when I heard them say that, Janet Rowle made Beater and was going for blood after Portia embarrassed her on the first day. Usually I'd shrug it off, because that's just Quidditch but Rowle's got a reputation for being a crazy nut job who over reacts. So I hightailed over to the dressing rooms, James told Sirius and Nathaniel to keep an eye out for her, much to Portia's disgust." Peter smiled at the last part.

Hermione purse her lips. "I hope she doesn't do anything stupid."

"Don't worry about it Hermione." Lilly patted her knee. "Portia's made of harder stuff than whatever they made Sirius' skull out of." She quipped causing the boys to break into snickers.

"That's what I'm worried about…" Hermione muttered.

* * *

><p>"POTTER PASSES TO KLEMMINS! KLEMMINS FIRES PAST FLINT, KLEMMINS SHOOTS, KLEMMINS SCORES! THIRTY MINUTES IN AND GRYFFINDOR HAVE FIFTY POINTS IN THE BAG, SLYTHERIN STILL AT ZERO AND THE SNITCH IS NO WHERE TO BE SEEN MY FRIENDS."<p>

Portia groaned. "Thanks for the astute observation." She hadn't laid eyes on it even once, on the plus side neither had the Slytherin seeker.

It was the full moon that night and due to James' obsession with getting them up earlier than strictly necessary for games and practise she hadn't take her potion. On the plus side her eye sight was _spectacular_, not that it had helped her as of yet. On the downside one of the Slytherin chasers stunk so bad she has to hold her breath each time he passes by so she didn't puke, also Sirius still smelt like wet dog! Honestly, did the man sleep in a kennel?!

Another pain in the ass was Rowle. She had apparently decided that her revenge for earlier in the term would be hitting her with a bludger, fortunately for her Rowle couldn't hit the side of a barn if she tried, and James had decided within five minutes of the game that Sirius and Nathan would be wasted 'guarding ' her.

Portia scanned the pitch, smirking as she watched Sirius hit an impressively aimed bludger at his brother, who dodged it sneering.

* * *

><p>"GO JAMES!" Lily screamed from beside her. James had the quaffle and was no doubt about to score, but Hermione's eyes were on Portia.<p>

Rowle had blatantly aimed for her several times, but Portia had dodged them lazily looking almost bored. If Rowle was smart and really wanted a rise out of her, she'd aim for Sirius or James, but of course if no one had noticed her insane loyalty for her friends, she sure wasn't going to be the one to point it out, especially to people who would soon be trying to kill them.

Currently Portia was hovering just below the lowest hoop mid-pitch, Hermione watched her gaze sweep the field and a spilt second later Portia was hurtling toward the top Slytherin hoop.

"GO PORTIA GO!" Hermione screamed, her friends snapped their heads in her cousin's direction.

"GO HARMEN!" Peter bellowed out next.

Hermione gripped the hand beside her tightly when she saw Rowle hit a bludger directly at the speeding seeker.

* * *

><p>Portia glanced right, spotting the bludger she tucked her body tightly against her broom and stretched out her hand.<p>

She was getting that snitch, to hell with Rowle's bludger.

* * *

><p>Sirius smashed his bludger at Rowle, and watched in satisfaction as she slipped off her broom in an effort to dodge it, before he turned his attention to Harmen.<p>

Hand out-stretched, the bludger neared and Sirius suddenly wished Rowle had fallen more than six feet, preferably into a pit of acromantulas.

_Oh she'd pay for this, he'd make sure of it. _

His grip tightened insanely on his broom. Portia slipped the broom into a roll, but the bludger clipped her boot pushing her off the broom. Sirius flew at top speed toward her as he watched the witch hang from one hand, but, clever thing she is, she managed to pull herself up and swing herself back onto her broom.

Standing up on her broom, wild grin, hair coming loose from her braid she thrust her hand up, clutching that tiny golden ball, and Sirius fell into absolute gales of laughter when her other hand came up and gave the forks to an enraged Rowle standing on the pitch with a broken broom.

* * *

><p>Hermione sighed deep with relief and loosen her grip. "Thank Merlin for that."<p>

Remus chuckled beside her, squeezing her hand. "I never thought you'd be glad to see Portia give someone the forks."

Blushing Hermione pulled her hand away. "Yes well, it means she still has a pulse so I'll ignore that part." Hermione hummed. "You'd think with the upbringing we had she'd have more class."

Lily snorted from in front of her as they made their way down from the stands. "You haven't heard much of the reputation your family has from the outside world have you? Add an eye roll to Portia, and you've basically got your family's stance on every bias political member the ministry has had since it was formed."

"Gryffindor won we're on our way to the party and _this_ is what you want to talk about?" Peter exclaimed from behind them all. "Could we at least briefly discuss how awesome Portia is on a broom before we move to her lack of finesse and care on prejudiced idiots?"

* * *

><p>Slipping out of the common room, the celebratory party in full swing, she fastened the black, yellow-lined cloak around herself and pulled the hood over her head. She made her way through the castle and slipped out and in the forest unseen and unheard.<p>

* * *

><p>Peter frowned looking around the party. "Hey Hermione where's Portia?" He yelled over the noise.<p>

Hermione looked up at him, "she was here just a moment ago don't worry she'll turn up, she always does," she smiled and moved toward Lily.

He didn't have time to find her though, Remus had already left and he, James and Sirius were about to slip out as soon as the banners exploded into glitter and distracted everyone.

Peter didn't like this at all.

* * *

><p>A golden dingo sat on a big rock that still radiated heat from the day's sunshine. Resting her head upon a paw she watched the people walking in the valley below. They looked confused and disorganised, a pack without their leader.<p>

She could smell the humans and without the potion she was supposed to take earlier, it was testing her tightly held control. When first of several screams filled the air and she knew she gathered all the information she could from the people below.

As she trotted away a howl filled the air.

Reaching a secluded clearing she transformed back into herself, which she had to admit wasn't the most comfortable. Slipping her wand from her sleeve she left with a crack. Apparating back into the forbidden forest she squirmed, with the full moon shining down on her, her skin felt itchy and too tight, slipping back into her animagus form she felt relief.

Not fifteen minutes from the castle she heard a howl and her head snapped up. It was different to the two that usually played during these nights. Worry set in and she set off running toward the howl as fast as she could, trying not to be detected she leapt onto the boulders that scattered the forest.

Leaping onto a larger boulder she spotted a clearing where two werewolves were facing off. A sole red-brown male a little larger then herself growled at a sandy-brown werewolf surround by a large black dog and a stag. While unusual it wasn't the first time she'd stumbled across something that baffled her, she'd work it out later, right now she was pretty sure Remus was underestimating the smaller reddish werewolf.

The smaller werewolf backed down a little but the quiet growl didn't stop. Her hackles raised, but the other animals took it differently, and if she could tell that from this far away, so could he.

She took off sprinting towards them, her eyes set on the smaller werewolf. Just as she broke into the clearing the werewolf leapt towards the animals, following suit she jumped straight into its path and wrapped her jaws around its neck knocking it to the ground. Tightening her grip around its neck she growled low and dangerous, letting Remus get hurt wasn't an option. If Peter didn't kill her for it, Hermione would… well they'd _try _to kill her and that'd probably hurt more.

The werewolf squirmed under her grip and threw them to the ground, rolling out she crouched low, growling they circled each other neither one wanting to back down. She swiped her paw across its nose as it snapped at her, drawing blood it whined and snapped again this time catching her paw. It clamped down hard and she felt the skin break, the bones in her paw crunch. Its salvia dripped into her open wounds and she felt the tight control she held on herself snap.

Her vision clouded with absolute rage and she lunged forward taking hold of its ear with her jaw she almost ripped it off. She could feel herself attacking the animal and tried to pull herself back but nothing was working. Panic set in when she realised she couldn't force herself to transform back into her original form and as the werewolf ran off, her mind swirled, suddenly feeling exhausted she lost her balance and fell to her side.

She let out a quiet whine and the last thing she saw before slipping into unconsciousness was the big black dog prodding her with his snout.

* * *

><p>Albus watched Miss Granger hurry down the castle stairs toward him frantically.<p>

"Miss Granger is everything okay?" Dumbledore asked peering down his nose through his half-moon spectacles.

"Portia's missing! I went to bed after the party and she wasn't there which is kind of normal because she does whatever she pleases and as long as she isn't failing I don't really mind, because it's not as if she'll listen to me anyway but when I woke up she still wasn't back and there was no note, and she always leaves a note if she isn't going to be there when I wake up. I was sure I saw her at the party and then Peter said he couldn't find her, so I thought she'd just gone up to bed, after such a long game but I didn't see her again all night, so I know something is wrong, something is definitely very, very wrong…"

"Miss Granger, please relax. If you do not take a breath soon I'm rather afraid you may run out of air." Dumbledore tried to settle the rambling girl.

Taking a deep breath in and back out she looked up at him and stated simply. "I'm rather worried."

"I can see. I have a fair idea where she is, so do not fret, I have a short errand to run but I shall go collect her after. In the meantime I seriously suggest you go back to the common room and calm down, especially since it is only half five in the morning."

She looked slightly relieved at this and sighed a, "Thank you Headmaster," before hurrying off.

Albus frowned, now all he had to do was locate Portia.

* * *

><p>Remus sat on an old chair in the shrieking shack feeling sorry for himself. The marauders had left while he was sleeping early that morning and here he was waiting for Dumbledore with a dog that if he were honest looked kind of pissed it was being kept there, but it hadn't tried to eat him yet so he thought he was doing pretty well.<p>

"So uh, Hello, I'm Remus." He stuck his hand out, only to realise what he'd done and instantly retracted it. "Guess you can't shake huh?" He chuckled awkwardly and he could've sworn it had rolled its eyes at him.

"Give me a break would you, I had a tough night last night." He grumbled.

The dingo looked up at him as if to say _'Seriously?'_

"Well, uh, I suppose you did too." Remus scratched the back of his neck awkwardly. "Thanks for that by the way, I err, I don't usually come across other werewolves. They aren't supposed to be in the forest."

It looked pointedly at him.

"I'm a student here, it's different." He huffed. "You know for an animal that's _really_ far from home, you're awfully judgmental."

A light chuckle came from entrance to the tunnel. "I do hope you are not referring to me Mr Lupin." Dumbledore smiled as he emerged.

"Of course not Headmaster, I, uh, I seem to have acquired a new friend on my travels last night. He saved me from another werewolf." Remus said obviously thankful.

* * *

><p>"I assure you Mr Lupin, <em>she<em> is more of an old friend than a new one." Albus smiled at her, eyes twinkling with laughter.

"Oh, has she been around the forest for a while Headmaster?" Remus asked baffled.

"I would wager longer than you or I would imagine." Albus chuckled.

She barked, and held out her damaged paw.

"Oh I was going to take her to Madam Pomfrey, she passed out after the wolf bit her paw, I was worried until she woke up just after me. Now she just seems impatient and rather offended I've kept her here." He said looking rather worried that he'd offended her.

She huffed. _Of course he'd be self-conscious he'd offended me._ Rolling her eyes, she limped over and rested her head on his knee, when he reached out to her she licked his hand fondly.

After Albus dropped Remus off at the hospital wing and assured him he'd take her to a professional animal healer, which she'd rolled her eyes at. They'd wondered up to the Headmasters office.

As soon as the door shut she transformed back into herself. "Holy Hufflepuff my hand is killing me." Pulling her wand out she began healing her right hand.

"You remain to this day the only ambidextrous witch I've ever met." Albus stated smiling.

"You need to get out more then." She smirked, turning her attention back to her hand she frowned. "The flesh is healed and I've aligned the broken bones properly but I'll have to get you to write out a note so I can get an antibiotic and bone healing potion. I'd rather not wait for my own healing to do it, it's not exactly the most pleasant feeling."

"Ah, yes, would you care to tell me what happened?" Albus asked as he set about writing her note out.

"Greybacks pack is still disorganised. I doubt anyone has told them he's dead, because I'm fairly sure it's fear of his return that's stopping someone from becoming the new leader. They're definitely losing faith of his return though, the number of arguments that broke out has increased. I'd wager that the werewolf in the forest tonight was one of Greybacks that has strayed from the pack."

Dumbledore nodded. "Voldemort has halted his movements for now, we are unsure what has happened but he's definitely unhappy. We're trying to get someone on the inside, but our attempts as such have failed."

"You need to be looking at your students Albus."

"Portia, I will not endanger my students." He said flatly, as if there was no room for argument.

"You cannot protect them from their parents Albus and you must face facts, it's their parents who are giving them a first class ticket to Azkaban or the family crypt!"

"I will not offer them a place in the Order that will very well spell their deaths!"

"Then don't! Let me offer them a way out, I'll be their handler and secret keeper. I'll offer as much protection as is feasibly possible." Portia spoke defiantly. "You know I am their best way out Albus."

"That does not mean I have to like the situation." Albus said mulishly.

"People are dying, no one likes the situation."

Albus sighed and began to polish his glasses. "The problem with picking the lesser of two evils is that it is still evil."

Portia smirked. "Oh, come on old man. Surely I am not that bad?"


	11. Chapter 11

Hermione sighed at the sight of Rowle with sludge green hair. Little incidents like this had been happening quite often since the Quidditch match and it was sure to cause serious trouble if it didn't stop soon.

Hermione slipped into the only stop left, between Portia and Sirius. While she loved Portia and was relatively fond of Sirius, when he wasn't turning her notes into paper ducks, it wasn't a place she felt entirely comfortable, similar to sitting between Fred and George, you just knew something was going to go wrong.

A small explosion sounded at the Slytherin table and Hermione turned on Portia with a glare. "Alright you've had your fun, enough is enough, _this stops now_ Portia." She whispered furiously.

Portia looked between her and Rowle stunned. "I know what you're thinking, and I know what it looks like, but_ that was not me_."

Hermione shook her head disappointed. "I can't believe you'd just lie to me like that. The proof is right there, that is _identical_ to the one you pulled on Sirius."

"That was you?!" Sirius piped up gobsmacked.

"Oh. Sirius reverse engineered your spell." Hermione said flatly.

"Gee, do you think?" Portia drawled, her voice dripping with sarcasm as she slowly got up from the seat. "Now Black, see logic. That was months ago, surely you've gotten over it?" Portia gave a small smile as she backed away from Sirius who was advancing on her with a rather disconcerting grin.

"I was a rainbow for almost a month." He dead panned with a soft growl.

"It looked good on you?" She offered weakly before bolting, Sirius following close behind.

"Harmen did that?" James asked perplexed. "He's been blaming me for months."

"We know," Peter snickered, "she thought it was hilarious."

"Wait you _knew_?" Remus and James echoed.

"Yea, remember when Sirius stirred up the Erklings? Well they ruined her boots." He shrugged.

Hermione looked at Lily. "You may want to warn the Professors. I can see this turning ugly."

Remus snickered. "More like all out warfare," spotting the looks he received from Lily and Hermione he cleared his throat, "which is of course a horrible, bad, dangerous thing."

"Nice cover Remus." James laughed.

"Shut up James, if you aren't careful Lily will drop you faster than a hot potato." Remus muttered.

James gave an adoring look to Lily and winked. "Nah, I've got her now. She's stuck with me." He chuckled.

Hermione shared a look with Lily and they sighed.

Nearing the end of lunch, someone cleared their throat behind her. Turning around Hermione's eyes locked onto another set of brown orbs smiling at her. The owner of said brown orbs flicked the sandy blonde hair from his eyes and grinned at her. "Hello. I'm Barty, I was wondering if I could be so honoured as to accompany you to Hogsmeade this weekend."

"Oh! I… Uh…" Hermione gnawed on her lips nervously, she could feel Remus' gaze burning into her back.

What are you waiting for? Say yes! _But, I wanted…_ Remus isn't going to ask you, remember what you told Ginny? _Not to wait around. But this is different! _No it's not. Just say yes.

A shoe collided with her shin and she winced, catching Lily's pointed look as she rubbed her shin.

"I uh, I'd love to Barty." She smiled a little hesitantly.

"Oh good. I'll meet you at the doors at eight then?" At her nod, she watched him walk away.

"Hermione and Barty sitting in the tree…" Lily sang teasingly as Remus left the hall quickly.

Hermione rolled her eyes and half-heartedly tossed a bread roll at Lily, but something was definitely bothering her about him.

"How much do you know about Barty?" She addressed to the table in general.

James was the one to answer. "Bartemius Crouch Jr. He's in the year below us in Ravenclaw and prefers to be called Barty. Not a bad bloke but he's got a chip on his shoulder about his dad." At the questioning looks he clarified. "His Father works at the ministry with mine, we've been forced to socialise a few times."

_Oh bother._

* * *

><p>Hermione was rushing through the castle searching for Portia. Checking the last broom closet, she slammed it shut in frustration. "Where in the name of Gryffindor is she?!"<p>

A second later the closet door came open and she was yanked in. Looking around she immediately noticed that this was not the space she had slammed the door on not five second before. The room was relatively big, with an empty desk in one corner and Portia occupying a hammock hanging in the other.

"You _altered _the castle?!" Hermione boggled.

"You didn't seem to mind when you found your balcony." Portia commented flatly.

"You did that? You know what, never mind, I have bigger problems." Hermione sighed rubbing her eyes. "I was just asked to Hogsmeade."

"So? It's not like Remus has gotten over his self-pity long enough to ask you out yet."

"Don't talk about him like that," Hermione snapped, taking a breath she continued, "_you_ are my cousin, you're supposed to help me."

"Okay, One, I was born in 1214. Hello arranged marriages! Two, I haven't been on a date in at least four hundred years. I'm fairly sure the rules of dating have changed since then. Thirdly and finally, if you wanted my help, then you should have thought of that before you blabbed about my jinx. If you'd had just a little faith in me then I wouldn't have Black running around the castle trying to curse me." Portia looked at her pointedly.

"You gave her a rude hand gesture in front of the entire school, how was I supposed to know it wasn't you?"

"Exactly, I got away with it and won the game, I was more than happy."

"Argh! This is beside the point, I need your help! I was asked out by _Barty Crouch Jr_! Future Death Eater? Is this ringing any bells?"

Portia tilted her head up and looked at her with a grin. "Perfect! While you're being wined and dined, work out if he's a daddy hating psychopath yet would you? Maybe we'll catch a break and be able to stop him going to the dark side of the force."

"That joke was so inappropriate I don't even know where to begin." Hermione sighed exasperated.

"Well it's no fun now you've pointed it out." She frowned, eyes closed and laying back.

Hermione huffed irritated and headed towards the door, just before she slipping out she flicked her wand at the hammock causing it to spin and dump Portia unceremoniously on the floor. She closed the door happily on the string of foul words thrown at her.

* * *

><p>Determined to get the goblins at Gringotts to release a cottage from the property portfolio in time for them to occupy it at Christmas, Portia trudged up the frozen staircase to the Owlery.<p>

Reaching the top a shriek sounded and a flying torpedo of parchment flew at her, neatly dodging it her eyes darted to the steaming angry red head storming around and freaking the birds out.

"Uh, you okay Blue?" Portia asked carefully.

"No! I am most certainly not alright! My utter cow of a sister ask asked me to forgo my own family Christmas traditions because and I quote 'I would hate for your freakish qualities to scare my future husband away.'" Lily shrieked stomping her foot, a tear slowly rolling down her cheek.

Portia blinked, given her track record emotional family issues were not her forte, give her a war any day. "Well… Unless your Mother is as foolish as your sister then I doubt she even knows of the letter, why not write and tell her?"

Portia watched curiously as Lily deflated and slumped down onto a seat. "No, if I force my presence on Petunia, my sister," she clarified, "she'll hate me, and as horrible as she is at the moment, we used to be really close and…"

"She's your sister and you love her." Portia nodded understanding.

"Exactly. No, I'll just write mum and tell her that I'd like to stay at Hogwarts because it's my last year." Lily sighed.

"Or you could tell her that two sad little orphans asked you to stay at theirs to help fill the void." Portia gave her a small smile.

Lily looked up her horrified. "Oh Merlin! Here I am complaining about family and you…"

"Lily! Stop! It's fine honestly. I'm fine, but I am a little worried for Hermione, I mean I lost my Mother years ago, but Hermione had her mum and step dad there for most of her life. If you came it would help ease my worries, I'm not so good with this… crying stuff." She shrugged awkward.

"I'd love to, but are you sure?"

"Course, I know you and I don't talk all that much, but you're a part of the family. That means loyalty, love, a place to crash when your sisters a butt and most importantly, awkward Christmas' days with the Potter family, which you will have to suffer through with us, should you decide to stay. Oh and the New Year's Ball they hold." Portia grinned.

Lily hesitated, biting her lip.

"I'll take that as a yes. Now go write a letter to your Mother, I won't grant you asylum until you have permission, no matter how hard you beg!" Portia ended with a dramatic flourish.

Lily smiled fondly. "You are something else."

Just as Lily got the steps, Portia's hair tie broke and her hair came tumbling down around her shoulders, picking a lock up and looking at it she blinked. "Hey Blue!"

Lily looked back expectantly. "How long has my hair been purple?"

Lily blinked. "A few days now, you didn't know?"

A slow grin crept onto Portias face. "I don't really look at it, I just kind of tie it up and move on with my day. Looks like I hadn't dodged Black at all. Interesting."

Lily smiled strangely. "I think it was an understatement when I said you were something else." Lily rolled her eyes fondly when Portia winked at her and continued her way down leaving Portia to her musings.

* * *

><p>Barty looked at her defeated. "Well… That was an utter disaster. Friends?" He asked holding a hand out hopefully.<p>

Hermione almost sighed with relief. "Friends." She nodded happily, shaking his hand.

"I really am sorry about that hot toffee." He winced.

"It's fine, really, it'll heal." She strained a smile as she started toward the common room.

Finally climbing through the portrait Hermione collapsed beside Lily on the sofa, luckily the common room was almost deserted, unluckily the almost included Portia.

"That good huh?"

"First he tripped and pushed me into the carriage, then he insisted on holding my hand and his hands were freezing, then he took me into look at the new stationary Tomes and Scrolls got in and accidently stabbed my hand with a quill, then spilled my Butterbeer all over the table at The Three Broomsticks, and lastly choked and spat a hot toffee lolly at me." Hermione sighed exasperated.

"That explains the red mark on your neck, that's an unfortunate position." Lily grimaced.

"Unless you know better," Portia paused grinning, "it looks like a hickey."

* * *

><p>Remus hated today. He'd rushed through Hogsmeade, gathering the things he needed, never taking his eyes from the ground, just in case he came across <em>them.<em>

He knew he couldn't rightfully be annoyed with her, she wasn't his girlfriend, he'd never even asked her for a drink at the Three Broomsticks let alone for a whole day with her in Hogsmeade. Argh what was wrong with him?

Climbing through the portrait he could hear Portia's voice.

"It looks like a hickey." She said grinning.

His eyes shot to Hermione and then to the red mark on her neck. Gritting his teeth he turned around and walked right back out the portrait.

* * *

><p>"Well that was horrible timing even for me." Portia grimaced. "All quips and witticism aside, I am genuinely sorry for that."<p>

Hermione sighed and gave a gesture not to worry about it before climbing the girls staircase and retiring to bed early.


	12. Chapter 12

It was three days til Christmas break and the tension in the dungeon could not have been thicker.

"It seems that you boyfriend does not appreciate you being partnered with me." Snape drawled carefully.

Portia shot a look at Sirius and sure enough he was glaring.

She had summoned all of his boxers that morning and pinned them up around the common room to sing Christmas carols at people in his voice as they walked past, to say he was not amused was a gross understatement.

This had led to a strain on James and Lily's relationship, due to Lily saying that it was about time Black got a taste of his own medicine and James thoroughly disagreeing. Unfortunately they were paired up today, Remus and Hermione had also been paired up and her prank had not helped their already strained friendship.

Poor Peter sat beside Sirius, doomed to the realm of the silent treatment because he refused to take sides.

"He's not my boyfriend, and he's glaring at me not you. It seems he did not appreciate his gift this morning." Snape cocked a brow at her. "I am not telling you, you'll laugh and he'll assume we're planning something. While you might be safe tucked in the dungeons tonight, I will have to survive the jungle of loins in the tower."

"One would think a loin would be safe amongst the others." Snape drawled, bored.

"Black's been here longer, loyalty goes to him by default. There are of course always oddities, but they are the few. "

Snape blinked and made a dismissive noise, choosing not to respond as Slughorn started speaking.

* * *

><p>Peter had no idea what to do. James and Lily sat in front of him, Remus and Hermione behind, and Sirius beside him still glaring at Portia who was next to Snape. He was convinced Slughorn's seating plan was trying to kill him, '<em>Your NEWTS won't be easy so to challenge you during class you will have a new partner each week according to the Seating Plan I've charmed to alter each lesson.'<em> What, did it alter the people according to most likely to cause an explosion?

Sirius wasn't really angry, he just hadn't worked it out yet. When he did he was probably going to regret whatever he was planning.

"Don't do it, I don't know what exactly you're planning, but remember what happened last time you planned something while you were angry? You almost lost Remus' friendship."

Sirius glared at him. "Whose side are you on anyway?"

"The one where I get to keep all my friends in one piece thank you very much." Peter snapped back.

"She crossed the line!" Sirius whispered back furiously.

"What line?! Two years ago James jinxed you and you spent the next two days saying dirty pick-up lines to every female you spoke to! McGonagall gave you detention for a month! Are you honestly trying to tell me hanging your boxers in the common room was worse than that?!"

"It's different." Sirius grunted.

"Why? Because she's not a Marauder? Because she's a girl? Because she's content being your friend and doesn't fall at your feet after slipping in her own drool like the rest of your groupies?" Peter asked.

Sirius glared at him from the corner of his eyes. Peter shook his head frustrated.

* * *

><p>Lily was furious. Honestly, these boys tortured half the school over the past seven years and when Sirius finds someone who will not only play ball but plays it better, he and James are in a strop! <em>Absolutely<em> ridiculous!

"Could your pass the mandrake root please James?" She muttered quietly.

"Why don't you ask Portia to do it, since you're such good friends with her?" James muttered back childishly as he handed it to her.

"Because she's on the other side of the room, because she has her own work, and because she is not my partner, although I wish she were, at least she doesn't forget her manners in a foul mood." She snapped back.

* * *

><p>"So I have a small confession." Portia said suddenly, causing Snapes head to snap up and give her an expectant look.<p>

"I'm terrible at this." She gave a sheepish look.

"Why am I not surprised?"

"I can tell you all the ingredients you'll need, what they do, how they work together, even the best way to prepare them, but I can never seem to actually prepare them properly. I mean my potions are decent, and if it were anyone else I'd just get on with it, but I've seen you work and you're a perfectionist." She shrugged. "I'd rather you didn't hate me for not mentioning a short coming I'm completely comfortable with."

Snape pinched the bridge of his nose. "What _can_ you do?"

"I can place things in and stir." Portia grinned brightly.

"Salazar, help me." Snape sighed looking toward ceiling. "Fine, just don't stuff this up." He growled.

Ten minutes left and Snape was cleaning up after preparation and Portia was dropping the last ingredients in one every three stirs. Her arm seized up and she turned wide-eyed to Snape. "I've just been hit with a muscle relaxant charm."

Snape tried to yank her back in time but her muscles relaxed too quickly and she tripped, the last of the ingredients dropped in all at once as she fell, pulling Snape down with her.

The cauldron started to boil and shake not just the table it sat on but the desks surrounding it. They looked at each other before Snape pulled his wand out and erected a protection charm around the cauldron hoping to stop it aggravating the other potions in the classroom and causing an explosion.

The purple protection bubble expanded inching toward them quickly as the cauldron boiled inside. With a little difficulty Portia pulled her wand out and pointed her wand at the cauldron, helping shrink the charm down until the potion suffocated itself and neutralised.

"What in the name of Salazar was that about?" Slughorn exclaimed, finally managing to bustle through the crowd who stood around staring at them.

Snape stood brushing himself off and held his hand out to Portia, surprised she took his hand and stood up.

"It seems Harmen has temporarily lost control of the muscles in her left arm." Snape spoke slowly as if talking to a child.

Portia smothered the smirk that was itching to come to surface at the tone of his voice. "No idea what happened to it." She said baffled as she lifted her hand to chin height and watched it flopped back to her side.

"Hmm, must have been the vapours from Mr Heartfield's potion here." He said picking up a ladle of what looked curiously like moss and vomit. "Mr Snape, do take Miss Harmen to the infirmary, just in case there are any other side effects."

Portia blinked. _Was he really that daft?_

* * *

><p>Hermione was absolutely furious. They were all currently standing in the infirmary waiting for Madam Pomfrey to make an appearance.<p>

_Speak of the devil_. "Madam Pomfrey is Portia okay?" She stood forward.

Madam Pomfrey blinked. "Oh yes, yes, perfectly fine, poor thing was hit with a muscle relaxant charm. Works wonders on over-work Quidditch players but obviously not meant to be used while preparing a potion."

Hermione turned to glare at Sirius, who, conveniently, was staring at the ceiling. Spotting her cousin exit the bathroom she rushed over and gripped her arm, checking it out herself.

"Ah, careful there, I've got some major pins and needles in that arm." Portia exclaimed pulling her arm free.

"Good to see you're okay." Lily smiled.

"Fit as a fiddle, Blue." She grinned at her. "Up to the common room we go yea?"

Making their way up, Peter and Portia lead the pack. Spotting Barty in the corridor she smiled kindly as he nodded in acknowledgment.

"What don't want to follow you boyfriend down to the library?" Remus muttered.

Hermione turned to him eyes ablaze. "How _dare_ you?" In her fury she barely noticed Peter ushering everyone through a door that Portia was holding open.

"Me?! You're the one dating that… Ravenclaw!" Remus spluttered back.

"There is nothing wrong with Ravenclaw and even if there was, at least he's smarter than you! He _certainly_ wouldn't jump to conclusions about something he knew nothing about!"

"He is not smarter than I am, and I am absolutely not jumping to conclusions! I saw that hickey on your neck, Portia even confirmed it as I walked in!" Remus shouted back, all eyes in the group turning to Hermione, who was turning a furious shade of red.

"That was a _hot toffee burn_ and if you'd walked in a moment sooner you would have heard Portia say the first half of that sentence. Not that any of this is your damn business Remus Lupin! You have no right to judge me! I am _not_ your girlfriend, you've never even asked me to walk around the lake with you let alone a date at Hogsmeade!"

"That. That is beside the point!" Remus spluttered with embarrassment and frustration.

"No it's exactly the point!"

"No it's bloody not! I _can't_ ask you out, and it's bloody well driving me insane!"

"ARGH! For the love of Merlin I don't care that you're a werewolf! Portia's almost the bloody same and I still love her you great bloody cad!" With that she stormed out slamming the door.

* * *

><p>All eyes turned to Portia. "Well not exactly the way I planned on telling you all but… surprise!" Portia flung her arms out sheepishly, Peter standing behind the rest trying not to laugh.<p>

"Wait… So you're…"

"Almost." Sighing she sat down at a desk. "We were told early on that Voldemort would retaliate after we so publically told him to shove it, unfortunately we didn't take it nearly as seriously as we should have. The plan was for Dad, Uncle George and Aunt Catherine to hold them off while Hermione and I slipped out the back door and through the street Floo. Except there were more than we had planned for and by the time Hermione and I slipped out to the back alley they were already dead and Greyback was waiting for us. We got to the Floo but not before Greyback sunk his teeth into me."

Portia pulled her sleeve up to reveal the white scars he had marked her with.

Lily cleared her throat. "Do you, you know…"

"She doesn't turn." Peter piped up. "Her senses heighten ridiculously but otherwise she's as harmless as a kitten. You know unless your Sirius who just seems to get on her nerves." Peter grinned.

"Did you tell them about me?" Remus looked at Peter. "Why didn't you tell me about her?" He pointed at Portia.

Peter stared wide eyed, panicked.

"He didn't know I knew about you and I assume he didn't tell you about me for the same reason he didn't tell me about you." Portia said bluntly.

"Then how did you know?" Sirius growled from the back.

"My family has been researching a cure of lycanthropy since forever. I had my suspicions, but when Dumbledore asked for the Wolfsbane recipe I knew, I'm fairly sure that's how Hermione knew too, but it's not like we've sat down and had a conversation about this." Portia shrugged.

"Why'd you come to Hogwarts?" James asked. "Everyone knows your family has money, why not just go into hiding?"

"Dumbledore is worried we still might have a price on our heads. Especially since Hermione and I took out Greyback." Portia groaned at the looks. "I wasn't on purpose. When he bit me, I sent a reducto at him, but Hermione was quicker and turned him to stone, next thing I know he's smashed to smithereens."

The room went quite as they absorbed the information.

* * *

><p>Things had been different since Hermione's outburst. She hadn't spoken to him, or anyone besides Portia and Lily. He didn't know what to do, his whole world had been turned upside down.<p>

He pressed his forehead against the cool glass of the Hogwarts Express window. Shouldn't he be jumping for joy? He'd managed to stumble along people outside of the marauders who'd accept him despite his condition, who actually understood, people who'd been searching for a cure for people like him.

Yet, here he was sulking in a carriage with the marauders.

Portia stepped into the compartment and handed an envelope to Peter. The look she had when she looked between him and Sirius was something like guilt… or mourning.

* * *

><p><em><strong>Thanks to all who've supported and reviewed the story, you have my eternal thanks. Sorry if this one if a bit short, or is lacking in quality.<strong> _


	13. Chapter 13

Hermione adored the cottage that Portia had pulled from the property portfolio. She placed her bags beside the front door as she stepped through into the large family room, smiling she couldn't help but imagine her future in here. Grinning she moved into the kitchen, watching visions of her future friends and family move around the light and airy space. She stared as her mind produced imaginings of herself and Lily preparing food for a dinner party as Portia watched on with a glass of wine in hand, swatting Sirius and Peters hands as they attempted to pinch food before dinner. Her eyes moved to the dining room that was separated from the deck with large glass sliding doors.

"Move over Remus, I think Hermione's in love." Lily chuckled from the lounge room.

"The bookcase in the living room opens up into a study and private library, which is magically enlarged and about three times larger than you think it is, so please don't get lost. There are four bedrooms up stairs and the main bathroom, but there is an extra toilet down stairs too." Portia scratched her head. "I think that's it to be honest. Oh, and do me a favour and don't go out the front without me, there was an attack on a muggleborn last month and I'm rather fond of you two." She grinned crookedly before heading upstairs.

"Are you sure it's safe here?" Lily frowned at Hermione.

"Perfectly, Portia's really pernickety when it comes to safety." Hermione hummed. "I saw the portfolio, there was a house without a reported attack, but I'm assuming she figured the same thing I did." She shrugged.

"Which is?" Lily pushed.

Hermione hesitated. "That either an attack was going to happen soon or…"

Lily looked at her expectantly.

"Or it's that bad that the people there are afraid to report anything." Portia said flatly from the bottom of the stairs. "It seems that in the few months we've been at Hogwarts that the world has gone to hell in a hand basket."

An unsettling silence filled the room that was mercifully broken when a raggedy owl landed in the window with a hoot.

* * *

><p>Hermione stare at the unopened letter on the table. Since the owl had dropped it off three days earlier it had caused some serious inner turmoil. Remus' neat scrawl mocked her from the chair. She'd felt so embarrassed when she'd blurted out Portia's secret, luckily Portia hadn't minded in the least, but that was far from the point.<p>

Then she'd rushed out in a fit of frustration and anger and left Portia to deal with the whole situation and like the trained aristocrat she's been brought up to be, she couldn't have handled it better had it been scripted.

"Right, you Miss Granger, have been nothing but a ball of utter stress and tension since that bloody letter arrived. So you and Lily are to going to get ready and come with me to Diagon Alley, then we're going to do that weird thing that girls do and try on a bunch of dresses until you find the perfect one for the Potter's New Year Ball. While we're there, may as well get our Christmas shopping done too." Portia spoke firmly from the door, flanked by Lily.

"Portia I'm really not in the mood." Hermione sighed.

"Oh I'm sorry, apparently I gave the impression that was a request. It's not." She deadpanned. "I'm pulling rank as head of house."

"Are you serious?" Hermione moaned.

"Of course not, he's at the Potters. Honestly, you call yourself my cousin." Portia shook her head in mock disappointment.

Hermione and Lily blinked at her.

"Yeah, I felt all kinds of wrong saying it, but I couldn't let it slip, the boys wouldn't have." Portia shrugged uncomfortably.

"Looks like the Marauders put a kink your armour there Harmen." Lily smiled smugly.

"You're dating Potter, you don't get to be smug." Portia huffed. "Just get ready, we're going to be late."

Watching Portia walk off in a sulk, she smiled. "I think she actually misses them."

It took her two minutes to get dress and meet them in the reception room. The Floo already blazing green when she stepped into the room, Portia stepped into the fire and with a shout of, "Twilfitt and Tatting's" disappeared with a burst of flame.

She sent Lily through next, and followed through after double checking the wards. Hermione landed with a bit of a stumble and flushed pink until she spotted Portia still sprawled out on the floor from her landing.

"Portia! Darling! It's simply been forever!" An exuberant voice came from the back. A beautiful dark skinned curvy woman, slightly older than themselves walked through from the back and looked around perplexed until Hermione pointed to the floor. "You used the Floo didn't you? My dear girl, when _will_ you learn your lesson?"

She offered her hand to Portia, who took it with a lopsided grin and stood up. Hermione would have helped her up eventually, but she just couldn't take her eyes from the woman's hair! It was red in some places, orange in others, short, choppy, and honestly looked as if Fawkes had fallen asleep on her head.

Shaking herself she stepped into the room further moving to stand beside Lily, who had started hovering beside Portia. As always Portia had found the nearest armchair and sat in it sideways.

"Now let me look at you two." The woman did a figure eight between the girls, poking parts, extending limbs, examining hair, looking at eye colour and generally invading their space. "My you have a gorgeous family Portia, you can just tell the beauty is more than skin deep." She complimented.

"Oh! I'm not…" Lily started, shock written on her face.

"Yes you are." Portia cut her off lazily as she flicked through a Quidditch magazine.

Hermione smiled, sit might have sounded casual and bored to others but Hermione knew otherwise. Portia had accepted Lily into the family, she probably had some official document stating as such too, she just hadn't bored to tell anyone.

"Ladies, I am Madam Zabini and welcome to my shop." She snapped her fingers and two curtains behind her flew open revealing dressing rooms. "If you would kindly step into a dressing room and undress, I'll bring some dresses and we can get started."

Hermione looked between her and Lily, then to Portia. "What about her?"

Madam Zabini waved the question away with a hand. "She'll wear what I tell her to."

"Too right." Portia snorted from behind her magazine.

Twelve dresses later Hermione was pulling a periwinkle coloured dress through the curtain. She smiled as she thought of the Yule Ball.

The strapless silk gown covered the front of her beautifully, bunching in places at the stop and smoothing out towards the bottom. The dress dipped immediately after covering her breasts and secured at her lower back, falling into a short train. Hermione, tilted her head at the image in the mirror, if you were thinking indecently, it almost looked as if she'd wrapped a silk sheet around her in a rush, she was positive that a charm was being used to ensure the front didn't fall from her body.

Hermione bit her lip. Despite the slightly scandalous look, she adored it.

"You ready yet?" Portia called.

Taking a breath she pulled aside the curtain and stepped out.

"Well, damn." Portia grinned brightly.

"What? What am I missing? Is she gorgeous? I can't get this damn dress off!" Lily rushed from the room beside hers.

Lily burst through the curtain in a dressing gown and froze at the sight of her. "Oh my! Hermione, you look so beautiful." She sighed.

Madam Zabini smiled proudly. "That's the one, I simply will not let you try another. I'll pack it away for you."

"Go on, you've still got a dress to find missy." Portia shooed her back into the cubicle.

Rolling her eyes Lily walked back into the dressing room and shoved the curtain shut. "I'm tired of this, there are so many dresses and not one suits this bloody red hair!"

A slow calculated smile came across Madam Zabini's face, swiftly moving into the back she came back with a dress box and handed it over the top of the curtain. "Try this lovely, I think this is the one."

A moment later a gasp sounded and Lily stepped out in an emerald green ball gown that matched her eyes and complimented her hair. Where Hermione's flared at the bottom, Lily's stayed straight, making her look refined and elegant.

Portia smiled. "Dirty blood my left foot," she scoffed, "_that_ is what magic looks like." Hermione nodded fervently at the sentiment.

Portia and Madam Zabini were speaking in quietly in the corner of the little boutique as Hermione waited for Lily to get dressed.

With a nod and a slight bow between Portia and Madam Zabini, she joined them at the door. "Ready for some Christmas shopping?"

* * *

><p>Lily had to admit, shopping with Hermione and Portia was something else. Where most would have had made finding dresses for themselves the pinnacle of the day, they made their Christmas shopping for their friends the highlight.<p>

Despite this, Hermione and herself were stuck on a present for Sirius and Peter. Giving up they gave each other a look and sidled up to Portia.

"Hey Portia, you know how smart you are?" Hermione started.

"What do you want?" The eye roll was instant.

"We need help on gifts for Sirius and Peter." Lily smiled sheepishly. "Since you know them best…"

"Is that all? I thought you two were going to ask for a pony or something. Well, one of you could get Pete a book on photography while the other gets some different types of magical film, he'll love it especially since I got him a new camera."

"He's into photography?" Hermione asked baffled.

"Yeah, he's actually taken some pretty freaking amazing photos too."

Lily shrugged, it made sense he was talented at something she supposed. "And Sirius?"

"A general mechanics guide to motorcycles, and some muggle magic tricks."

"Black has a bike?" Lily frowned.

"No, but he wants one." Portia grinned and Lily could just see the rebellious excitement bouncing in her eyes at the thought.

Hermione however looked a tad horrified. "Does Dorea know?"

"Merlin no, and if you value our lives you won't tell her, or tell her we knew!" Portia threw back.

"You want me to lie to Dorea?" Hermione squealed.

"There is a difference between lying and not running off to tattle tale Hermione. I'm not asking you to look her in the eye and lie, I'm just asking you not to mention anything to her unless she specifically asks, and we both know she'll go for my blood before yours."

"She sounds kind of frightening." Lily piped up quietly.

The girls blinked at her. "No, no, no, Dorea is one of the nicest women you'll ever meet, but when it comes to her babies…"

"James and Sirius." Portia offered.

"She gets a little panicked over their safety. I mean you've seen what they get up to at school, can you imagine what has happened at home? Dorea used to tell us the most outlandish stories of the boys during afternoon tea, but we hadn't ever met them so we never really believed her." Hermione shrugged.

"We do now, I've still got purple steaks in my hair." Portia said flatly.

Hermione raised an eyebrow. "Glamour charm?" She asked eying chocolate brown curls.

A flat nod and they were moving off into another store.

* * *

><p>Hermione had to admit, she loved looking at the thing in the junk shop, yes perhaps the majority of it was broken, but she liked to look at them and try work out what they may have been before getting to that state or buying it just to see if she could fix it.<p>

Picking a particularly damaged titbit from a basket on the shelf she smiled. Her eyes shifted to a small murky porthole window that showed the back alley to the store. Dirt and dust fogged the image but she could clearly see two people, one advancing on the other. Using a rag left on the shelf she cleared the window and froze with shock.

There, standing in the alley was Antonin Dolohov cornering Regulus Black.

"Portia come here!" She hissed trying not to gain Lily's attention.

Frowning Portia tossed something back into a basket and peered out the window she was gesturing to. Hermione watched her face go blank.

"Keep Lily busy, she's not going to approve of what I'm about to do," Portia spared her a quick glance, "I doubt you will either, but there's really no time for a moral debate."

Hermione bit her lip. _Portia had done this for years, so she knew the best way to go around it, right?_

* * *

><p>She watched as Hermione pulled Lily over to the store owner. Drawing an arch on the wall with her wand she slipped through the bricks silently.<p>

Doholov dragged a finger down Regulus' face. "You know you're quite pretty for a boy, and there's a fair few who don't discriminate based on gender."

She took a slow breath when she felt the fire inside her rage at the implications of his words.

"_Pertrificus Totalus_." Dolohov froze and Regulus slipped away from the man to stand in the opposite corner.

Flicking her wand she turned Dolohov to face her and set him down. Looking into his eyes she sighed. _He was going to fight her on this, long way round it is._

"Let's not be difficult about this, yea? I haven't got the time to try rebuild your mind if I tear it apart trying to get in." Taking a breath she raised her wand to his temple. "_Legilimens_."

She felt the walls rise up and couldn't help but roll her eyes. Pushing past them with ease she sorted through images and emotions until she found what she was looking for.

He'd received his orders a week ago; recruit Regulus Black. Fortunately for her, Regulus seemed to be adept at cat and mouse and he'd only just managed to find him.

Portia began to pull on the threads holding the recent memories in his mind, once they unravelled she began sewing new ones in, ones of searching through stores and alleys, feelings of frustrations and fear of failure. Pulling herself out she blinked before pointing her wand between his eyes. _Imperio_. "You will go to the pub and drink until you pass out. You will forget this encounter and no potion, nor spell, nor legilimens will _ever_ retrieve this memory." She spoke firm and clear before waving her wand and lifting the body bind.

Once Dolohov had turned the corner, Portia turned around only to spot Hermione with her head poking through the wall. "Don't you think that was a bit over the top?" She asked stiffly.

_Great, she's going to have a fit later_. "We don't exactly have the luxury of taking a chance at the moment." Portia raised an eyebrow at her, silently asking where Lily was.

"Speaking to store owner about his Hippogriff farm, you might want to hurry it up though I think the patience is wearing thin." She added before disappearing again.

Portia scanned the alley carefully looking for any evidence that may point to what had occurred.

"I didn't need your help." snarled the boy in the corner.

"Oh course not Little Black you had it all figured out." She snarled back. "I saw that flicker of fear when he stroked your face Little Black, and guess what? It gets so much worse and by the time you realise just what horrors you've gotten yourself into he'll already have you branded and tagged. Even if you can actually stomach the atrocities that he'll make you commit, you'll never be safe. You'll never be able to have a family, continue the family name without the fear that he'll go after your children, after your heir should you fail him. Then where does that leave the _Most Ancient and Noble House of Black_? You are so desperate to make up for the fact that Sirius isn't there that you aren't even looking at it clearly."

"You know nothing of my brother and I!" Regulus roared at her.

Portia softened. "I know that the fall out was devastating on both sides. I know that you miss each other. I know that love doesn't fade over something as stupid as this. Unless of course you're Bellatrix Lestrange, but somehow I doubt you really want to be the one to identify with that nut job." She sighed and rubbed her eyes. "Look just, think about what I said, and if you ever need the help, contact me. You're proficient at occlumency correct?"

He nodded stiffly.

"Good, see you back at school Little Black."


	14. Chapter 14

Lily honestly had no idea what on earth had happened between Hermione and Portia but she knew it would explode soon.

Everything had been fine until the junk shop, Hermione had ditched her with the shopkeeper who was speaking at length about his Llamas, and when they walked out Hermione was so frustrated her hair was crackling furiously.

Lily had to admit, it threw her for a loop and if Portia noticed she didn't show it. Which just seemed to have annoyed Hermione even more and Lily honestly could not tell whether Portia was completely oblivious or not.

Regardless, the moment they entered the house Lily borrowed a few books and disappeared into her room telling the girls she was exhausted and was in desperate need of some down time. Hopefully they would have their spat and everything would go back to normal, although if they were anything like Petunia and herself, several plates would be broken, perhaps they would have the foresight not to attempt to sort things in the kitchen…

* * *

><p>Portia slipped upstairs as Lily made her excuses; making her way into her room she tapped the bookcase with her wand. She watched the bookcase silently creep left along the wall revealing several shelves set into the wall, picking up a black teacup with a twisty golden inlay, she began to browse through the bottles occupying the shelves.<p>

Tapping the top on a bottle with her wand she watched as her teacup filled with a dark amber liquid, satisfied she tapped the bookcase closed and waved her wand over the teacup, glamouring it to the hue of a strong tea, before setting off down the stairs towards the kitchen.

The door had barely shut behind her when Hermione turned on her. "Just where have you been?"

Sighing internally she took a sip from her cup and relished in the smooth burn before sitting at the table.

* * *

><p>"Forget that." She waved the question after before looking Portia dead in the eye. "What in the name of Merlins' great beard did you think you were doing today?"<p>

"It was the best option for everyone at the time." Portia spoke calmly before taking a large sip from her cup.

"Best option? Portia that spell is illegal for a good reason, and besides that, what if someone had seen you?! What of Regulus Black? He _did_ see you!"

"I made sure the area was secure, honestly, I am not a novice. There was no way anyone, besides those who needed to, were going to see me. As for Regulus, telling people would cause him more grief than good, he isn't a stupid kid."

"He's almost a death eater!"

Portia rolled her eyes exasperated. "I didn't claim he was brilliant."

She couldn't help but gape at her. "Didn't claim he was… My gods Portia! You risked our entire purpose for being here!"

Portia's narrowed eyes turned to her sharply. "What do you suggest I do next time then?"

"You could have oblivated him! If you're so proficient using unforgivables, then it should be easy!"

"It would take two seconds for Dolohov to realise he was missing his memories from today and put it together with recruiting Regulus! He'd hunt Little Black down for revenge or worse simply tell Riddle he was unwilling," Portia clenched her jaw before continuing quietly, "do you know what they did to Sirius when he refused? If Orion and Walburga Black didn't kill Regulus for refusing, Riddle would."

"I just don't think that spell was necessary."

"I did the best thing for everyone involved, I don't care if you don't like the way I did it." Portia snapped.

She felt her teeth grind together involuntarily. "Maybe you should."

Hermione felt a chill go down her spine as Portia's sharp eyes met hers as she stood slowly, looming over her.

"Let's make one thing very clear. I've been doing this long before your grandparents were even conceived and it's been a terribly long life. I've had to do things that I am not proud of, but it has always, _always_, been in the best interest of those involved and I will _not_ be treated like a naughty child due for a time out." Portia swept out of the room, her robe fluttering behind her and Hermione could have sworn she took the warmth from the room as she left.

* * *

><p>Portia could feel the frustration radiating off of Hermione Christmas morning, sighing she placed a steaming hot pile of pancakes in front of her.<p>

"Apple Cinnamon, with a dollop of frozen yogurt. Your favourite, I figured there would be a need for a peace offering, so I made you breakfast."

"Thank you." Hermione offered up a small smile, placating her a little.

"I'm not used to defending my actions, and when I have had to, I've never had to live with their opinion for long, and so caring has never seemed a necessary practise. That being said, I won't apologise for my actions, it was the only thing that I knew with absolutely certainty, would keep everyone safe."

She almost smiled as she watched Hermione pick her words as carefully as she did. "I know. I thought about it a lot last night, and while I am not comfortable with it, everything I could think of ran a higher chance of being thought suspect."

"Good now we have that sorted out I should go give this muffin to Lily, she said she was feeling a little under the weather."

"I'm here but I honestly don't think I could eat anything." Lily spoke softly as she sat down at the table with them.

"You need to eat something, the muffin with make you feel better I promise." Portia grinned at her and Hermione eyed the muffin suspiciously.

At half past nine Portia quietly apparated them into an alley on the outskirts of a small closely built village.

"Before we head up to the Potter's, I want to give you two an early present." Portia pulled the bracelets that had arrived that morning out of her pocket. "These were a pain to get made, but I think you'll both appreciate just why."

Moving the links together the chain became smaller and smaller until they formed a simple silver ring, holding the ring on her palm she let Hermione and Lily examine it for a moment before stretching it out again, this time further until it was a gorgeous thin silver necklace.

"The enchantments required to get this right must have been phenomenal." Lily muttered fascinated, as the slipped one over her head. She gasped when a small medallion with a single quill etched into its surfaced appeared on the necklace.

Hermione, seeing the medallion turned to her bracelet only to find, a tiny silver Hogwarts: A History hanging from it.

"The longer you wear it the more you'll gather, the necklace has a medallion, the bracelet has charms and the ring has engravings. Traditionally our family would have them specially made for family members on their sixteenth birthday, it's a sort of hallmark I guess, unique to our family. I got mine early because mum wanted to give it to me before she died, but the last few years we forgot some traditions because of the upcoming war. So, I'm giving them to their rightful owners now." Portia nodded before attempting to exit the alley.

"Portia this is really… thank you, but…" Lily started.

"You're keeping it Lily. There are a thousand reasons why, but all you really need to know is that if you try to give that back, I will translate all your NEWTS notes to gobbledegook. Now how about you and Hermione set off up the hill to the Potter's , I'll pop off to the bakery and meet you there."

Portia watched them until they reached the top of the hill before turning and heading in the opposite direction. The smell of fresh bread filled her lungs as she opened the bakery door and she sighed in contentment.

"Hello dearie." An elderly man stood behind the counter smiling kindly.

"Good morning Sir, I have an order to pick up." She smiled back. "The name's Wyght."

A crash sounded from the alley beside the shop as he came from the back with a large basket of bread and pastries.

"Never mind the noise dearie, it's just the stray cats getting into it again. Have a Merry Christmas."

"And you!" Portia replied merrily.

As she exited the shop another clang sounded and on a whim, she slipped her wand from her halter and turned left into the alley. She slipped soundless into the unusual darkness, midway she noticed shadows moving around, in her haste to raise her wand she kicked a glass bottle, the clatter echoing loudly.

The shadows stilled and a sudden streak of red light came hurtling towards her, she deflected it but not before a familiar crack of apparation sounded through the alley leaving just her and a dark figure lying unmoving in the shadows.

"Lumos." Light filled the alley, she set down her basket and toed toward the figure, pulling the cloak from across their face she sighed irritated.

"Shit. You have the worst timing." She wasn't about to wait around for an answer from an unconscious man though. "Lottie!"

* * *

><p>The Marauders, Mr and Mrs Potter, Lily and Hermione sat in the lounge room laughing at a particularly enjoyable story from Dorea when a POP sounded in the hall. The doors opened and in walked a smallish elf carrying a rather large for her size basket filled with pastry.<p>

Dorea boggled. "Lottie!"

"The pastry is for Mrs Potter and the note is for Sir Potter senior!" she exclaimed excitedly plucking a note from amongst the rolls.

"Dear it's in Gobbledegook, I can't read this." Dorea sighed passing it to Charlus.

Charlus scanned the note before kissing his wife on the cheek. "I'll be back before you open the presents."

* * *

><p>"Oh honestly would you shut up? Anyone would think you were dying."<p>

"I was! This bloody well hurts you know!"

"Yes well it's a fucking miracle I found you in the first place so…"

The shed door flew open with the winter wind and in stepped Charlus.

"I've sealed the area off to everyone except myself. Now would you mind telling me what happened? There is quite a bit of blood in that alley." Charlus said frowning.

Portia moved from where she stood revealing a figure on the floor. "Charlus, I believe you've met Alphard Black."

There on the floor was a furious, blood-stained Alphard Black, who had been relieved of half his left leg.

"Alphard! What in the name of Godric happened to you?" Charlus spoke appalled.

"My damn sister happened. Regulus had been staying at my house while he pulled a disappearing act on his parents and I tried to talk some sense into the dullard of a boy. Then today of all days Walburga shows up, we get into the usual Black row, next thing I know she's hit me with a eight hundred year old vase and I wake up to this fiend!"

"Keep calling me names and I'll find another vase." Portia snapped back.

"Right now, that's enough of that. We need to work out what we are going to do with you." Charlus rubbed his temples. "Couldn't you have waited until after Christmas?"

"Oh yes Charlus, the Blacks have always been a predictable, patient bunch."

"We pronounce him dead."

"What?" Charlus and Alphard echoed.

Portia sighed. "It's the only thing we can do. Walburga left him to bleed out, she got out of there before she saw me deflect her curse so as far as she knows, Alphard is bleeding out next to a muggle in some alley. If he comes back alive, she going to want to kill who ever saved him and I can't afford the attention. If he's 'dead' then he can go play hide away."

"Now wait just a bloody minute there's a war around to erupt! If Sirius and Regulus meet on the battlefield they'll kill each other."

"Alphard I hate to say it, but Portia, she's holds a fair argument. Now I can assure you we will protect Sirius as if he were one of our own. Maybe if we can convince Regulus…"

"It's too late. Dolohov is on his tail, he's being recruited. I don't know if he's entirely sure about it, but he's either going to die saying no or say yes just to stay alive." Portia sighed.

"I'll take him away when I go into hiding." Alphard nodded.

"We can't just spirit him away, there's no way to tell if he'd put up a fight and Walburga and Orion would tear apart the planet to get their only viable heir back, not to mention the trouble it'd cause at work." Charlus explained.

"Then fake his death like you want to with me." Alphard waved the issue off.

"That would put your family on a warpath and with all due respect we already have our hands full with one raging psychopath trying to destroy the world, three? That's a bit much."

"I refuse to let the Black name go extinct by destroying itself." Alphard huffed.

Charlus and Portia looked at each other.

"I can watch out for him this year but honestly, I don't think he'll give him anything to do until after he graduates, there's too much to gain from having a student keep watch on Dumbledore. Not to mention the recruits he could reap." said Portia.

"Surely he wouldn't recruit from children." Charlus asked incredulous.

"It's what I would do." Alphard looked between Charlus and Portia before shrugging. "Not that I've thought about it."

"Look, I will do my very best for Regulus but ultimately it's up to him, and until you learn to walk on a prosthetic you aren't going anywhere. I'll arrange for everything and you can stay at one of my safe houses."

"Fat lot of good a safe house did for your family." Alphard scoffed.

"One of _my_ safe houses, not the Harman's you ungrateful oaf."

"How is it you two know each other?" Charlus asked exasperated.

"He was eleven wandering around knockturn alley, almost got himself killed the tosser."

"Hag, you…"

"Hold on tight." Portia tossed him a tangerine turned portkey from her pocket and watched with satisfaction as he disappeared.

"A death without a body, I can already feel the headache the paperwork is going to give me."

"Oh that reminds me." Grabbing her package from the corner, she unwrapped the cloak and presented it to Charlus.

"Is that… Is that Alphard's leg?" Charlus asked.

"Yes. Well partially, I couldn't find his knee and without it, it's useless it him." Portia shrugged. "I figured you'd need something to show and I didn't want to leave it just in case you didn't get there in time. Alphard and I have a mutual fondness that we show by arguing, insulting and hexing each other but letting his leg be eaten by a stray animal? Yea that's definitely crossing a line."

"Good to know. I'll just take this…" Charlus said lifted the cloak and leg from her, "and you are going to head on inside."

"Done deal." Portia smiled giving a salute before heading for the house.

* * *

><p>Hermione looked around her new found group of friends and couldn't help but grin. It was so nice, having this chance was so very incredible and when that tiny part that still felt guilty about leaving everyone behind popped up. She took a breath and reminded herself that it hasn't happened yet and she hasn't really abandoned them. Even the bit of awkwardness between her and Remus couldn't dull her joy.<p>

Peter snapped another picture of Portia and she laughed at the dazed look on her face.

"Pete, I am so very glad you like your camera, but if you blind me again we're going to have a problem." She heard Portia groan.

Laughing she thought on when Peter opened his presents and the utter joy he displayed when he had discovered they had given him photography gear. Honestly it was like nothing she'd ever seen from Peter, he was jumping around like a toddler with his favourite action figure. He'd been snapping pictures of them ever since.

Dorea stepped into the room and gave a small smile. Hermione watched as she pocketed a black envelope and took the camera from Peter. "Right boys sit on the couch I'll give you one silly picture, but I want a nice one too."

James jumped into the corner seat with Sirius, Peter and Remus sliding in after him. The moment Dorea had snapped them all with their wide goofy grin, Sirius flipped his legs into Peter and Remus laps, his head in James and struck a pose. James, Remus and Peter looked at each other and then Remus and Peter clamped on to Sirius' legs and as Dorea snapped the picture, James stuck his tongue in Sirius ear. Hermione could not help but burst into laughter as Sirius flailed and cursed, trying to get away.

"That was by far the most disgusting thing I've ever had in my ear." Sirius muttered.

"But not the most disgusting thing you've had in your mouth." Portia said grinning.

"Oi!"

"Oh please Sirius, you've seen some of the girls you've 'dated', they aren't exactly what you would call clean." Lily rolled her eyes.

Portia looked at Lily with mischievous joy. "Oh burn. Look at you throwing some sass around," she faked a tear and sniffed, "I'm so proud of you."

"Okay let's get a picture of the girls before you all turn rouge on me." Dorea laughed.

"Portia we could turn rogue without an issue…" Sirius considered as the photo was taken.

"Hermione and Lily might be more of a challenge." Remus finished just as Lily swung around to sit upside down on the couch, her head hanging off the cushions, Hermione and Portia following seconds after.

"Everyone on the couch!" Dorea said.

"There is no way we are all going to fit." Lily said rolling off the couch.

"The Marauders can sit on the couch and we'll sit on the back of the couch between their heads." Hermione grinned.

Soon Remus, James, Sirius and Peter sat on the couch, while Hermione, Lily and Portia sat between them respectively.

A flash later and Sirius had pushed Portia backwards off the couch, James had swept Lily into his lap and kissed her, Hermione had planted a giant red bow on Remus' forehead and Peter was staring at Sirius incredulously. They didn't notice the flash on the camera, not even when Hermione and James took bets on who would win when Portia had tackled Sirius in retaliation.

* * *

><p>Dorea sat at the breakfast table holding her tea cup pensively. She meant to give it to him last night, she really did, but he was so happy and it was Christmas, she didn't want to taint one of the few good Christmases he'd had. Then it'd had gotten late and she'd refused to let the girls go home, instead putting them in the room beside Charlus' and hers.<p>

Charlus stumbled in and reached for the teapot. "How'd he take it?" Charlus yawned.

"I haven't given it to him…"

"Dorea…" Charlus said reproachfully.

"I know but it was Christmas, Charlie. I'll give it to him after breakfast I promise."

Watching the kids stumble in Dorea grinned. She and Charlus had always wanted more children, but they'd waited too long and after her sweet little Jamie she couldn't have anymore. Then James had started school and Sirius had followed him home for Christmas first year, Remus and Peter the year after.

Now she had seven teenagers sitting in her kitchen arguing over potions, Quidditch matches and who gets the cereal first. They may not all be hers biologically, but they were definitely her children, even Lily and Hermione who had, had such a brief time with her and Portia, well…

"Stop looking at me like that." Portia grumbled quietly from beside her.

"Like what dear?" Dorea smiled teasingly.

"Like you want to knit me a jumper and throw me a birthday party complete with a piñata." She rolled her eyes. "I don't care how I look, I'm not a child."

"You are in a way. You've never experienced a real future." She looked at her pointedly. "Are you doing anything about that?"

"I am… happy." Portia said to her in almost a whisper.

Dorea felt hope burst through her chest. There have been many times that she feared she had lost Portia to the fates and no matter how many times Portia told her she wasn't a child she still felt like wrapping her in her arms and protecting her from whatever dared try hurt her.

"Good."

When the kids finished up breakfast and attempted to leave Charlus nudged her with his foot, "Oh, Sirius dear."

"Yea mum?" Sirius grinned and her heart broke a little.

"A letter came for you yesterday, I should have given it to you then, but you've… I didn't want to spoil your Christmas dear and I hope you'll forgive me dear."

Sirius looked confused until he saw the black envelope emerge from her pocket and his face went blank. Taking the envelope from her he flipped it over in his hands before opening it and reading it's content.

"There's nothing to forgive mum," He gave her a small smile, "I'm glad I didn't get this yesterday."

"What's happened?" James asked tentatively.

"My Uncle Alphard died, he, um, he left me… well, he left me everything. His properties, his fortune, all his possessions, he left me everything." Sirius said slightly dazed.


End file.
